Unexpected
by Swaying Cherry Blossoms
Summary: AU: Kyoko Honda and Kazuma Sohma have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever. Kyoru. Complete!
1. The Brief Meeting

Hello everyone! Thank you for showing your interest in my first fan fiction! Of course, there's a Kyoru pairing! In my eyes this story seems a little boring, but I decided to give it a try. The play that's mentioned in this chapter actually does occur in the manga, chapter eighty-eight to be exact. It's rather amusing! -giggle- Well, I hope you all enjoy this story and please review because reviews are both appreciated and helpful! Thanks, and enjoy the first chapter of this story!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: The Brief Meeting  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.

* * *

Here, a little jealousy

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I hope you think of me

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Hope you wonder where I sleep at night

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'Cause I feel like I'm inside out

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You got me upside down

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Maybe I was holding on too tight

- _Inside Out_ by Yellowcard

"Okay Mom, I'm going now! I'll be back in an hour or two!" Tohru Honda called to her mother as she stepped out of the house.

Tohru, age seventeen, was a rather handsome girl with brown hair that stopped an inch or two before her waist and brown eyes that were always glimmering with happiness. She was slender with very fair, creamy white skin and a light tint of pink color in her cheeks. Tohru always had a smile on her face and was always willing to put other people before herself, never ceasing to think of her own troubles, only that she needed to help someone.

In her hand Tohru carried a small messenger bag. She was headed about the neighborhood to sell tickets to her high school's production of _Cinderella_. Tohru had been selling tickets for two days, and the play was scheduled for the upcoming week. Kyoko Honda, Tohru's mother, usually accompanied her when she sold the tickets. But, during the morning of that day, Kyoko had twisted her ankle while walking down the steps and was resting in bed for the remainder of the afternoon as a result of Tohru's pleading request.

It was a humid autumn afternoon with grey clouds scattered across the sky. A heavy blanket of fog sat on the ground, causing Tohru to not see anything passed her ankles. The grass was wet with dew and it seemed as if sunny days and beautiful weather would never return to Tokyo again.

Instead of walking up the path to her next-door neighbor's home, Tohru started up the sidewalk and turned at the corner. During the first two days of ticket selling Tohru and Kyoko had covered most of the houses on their block and the next. Tohru cautiously headed across the vacant road and ended up on a block she had scarcely visited in all of her years of living in Tokyo. This specific block was occupied with homely looking homes that seemed identical to one another. There was one rather large home that stood out from all the rest. Tohru decided to start at that house, for it was one right in front of her, and work her way down the west side of the block and save the other side for the next day.

"Wow, this house is so grand," breathed Tohru as she went up the path to the home. The house, in fact, was very grand. It was wide with mahogany siding and a becoming sliding door. There was a very handsome porch before it, lined with pots of exotic looking flowers and plants. Hanging in front of the door were wooden wind chimes, but they were stationary due to the absence of the wind that day.

Before Tohru had gotten a chance to walk onto the porch, the door slid open and a man stepped outside. The man was tall, middle-aged, and had short grey hair. The grey color seemed to twinkle regardless of the sun's absence and Tohru could have sworn that for a minute it was pure silver. He wore a white martial arts uniform with a black belt tied around his waist. But the man's face was warm and cheerful and he laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Those kids really do say the funniest things sometimes," he chuckled to himself as he wiped his brow. He then was aware of Tohru standing before him, her face crimson, clutching the handle of her messenger bag. "Oh, hello," the man greeted her as his expression softened. He still had a smile on his face, as if it were permanently glued there. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Tohru smiled, nodded, and opened her mouth to speak but as she did, it started to drizzle. But letting a little drizzle get in the way was out of the question, for Tohru was solemnly determined to sell all of the tickets that were in her bag. She resumed talking, explaining to the man that her high school was putting on a play and that she was going around the neighborhood selling tickets for the production. The man nodded and seemed to take great interest in what Tohru was saying, unlike some of the other people in the neighborhood who would interrupt her and politely decline.

"Sounds interesting," said the man. "When will this play be held?"

"September twenty-third," Tohru replied. "That's next Friday. It's at seven o'clock at Kaibara High."

Nodding, the man turned to open the sliding door and beckoned to Tohru. "Why don't you come inside?' he offered. "It looks like this drizzle is going to grow a little heavier, and I'd like to hear more about this play." Tohru was flattered, but felt that she might be in the way. But when the man insisted, and when the drizzle grew heavier, Tohru shyly stepped inside and the man followed her, sliding the door shut behind him.

It was then clear that this house was not a house, but a martial arts dojo. Tohru and the man were now inside a large room lined with four cushioned mats. Spread throughout the room were small children, two on each mat, kicking and punching the air. At the front of the room were two males, one who looked to be a little over twenty-five and one who looked about Tohru's age. Tohru couldn't help but admit to herself that the boy she thought her age was very handsome. He was tall, tan, and slender, and had fiery orange hair. His expression was hard and rough and he didn't seem to be enjoying what he was doing. The man beside him was slightly taller and had brown hair that was parted at the middle. His expression was cheerful, like the man who stood with Tohru, and _he_ seemed to be enjoying what he was doing.

"There's only ten minutes left in this class," said the man. "You're welcome to stay here and watch if you'd like—" he looked outside "—because it seems that the rain has grown heavy so you can stay until it lets up. I'll get chairs from the hall and you can tell me more about your play."

"Oh, no! I couldn't!" shrieked Tohru. "It would be too much. I don't want to be in the way at all! I don't mind the rain, and I don't live far from here, I—"

"Nonsense!" said the man, who was rather amused. He went in the hall to retrieve two chairs and brought them in to the room. Tohru shyly sat down on the one he provided for her and laid her messenger bag on her lap. She opened it up and took out a roll of tickets along with a clipboard in which several papers, and a pen, were attached to it. The man sat down in the chair next to Tohru.

"Now, what play is your school putting on?" he inquired.

"_Cinderella_," Tohru replied. She dug through her messenger bag in search for a copy of the play poster and handed it to the man once she found one. The man looked at it and his eyes seemed to lock onto one person in particular. He pointed to that person; a boy dressed in an outfit resembling a priest's robe and said, "Do you know that boy?" Tohru looked at the boy and nodded. "Yes, that's Yuki Sohma!"

"Ah, I see," the man answered, nodding. "My name is Kazuma Sohma. I used to be his martial arts teacher."

Tohru's eyes widened and her jaw slowly dropped.

"Wow, that's amazing! Are you related to him!" she squeaked, her eyes filled with stars. The man laughed and nodded. "Well, distantly, yes. You see that boy at the front of the room, with the orange hair?—" Tohru nodded "—He is a cousin of Yuki's. His name is Kyo, although he and Yuki don't get along that much." Tohru nodded, thinking how coincidentally she had just stumbled upon some of Yuki Sohma's relatives. Yuki Sohma was known as the most handsome and popular boy in Kaibara High.

"You're going to be playing Cinderella, right?" the man asked her, resuming back to the subject of the school play.

"Oh, no," Tohru said, slightly blushing. "I'm her step-sister! My friend is going to be playing her!" Tohru pointed to a girl on the poster. The girl had black hair and dark eyes, along with a gentle smile. She was wearing a black dress as well. Kazuma laughed nervously, ceasing to imagine that this sweet girl could possibly be playing Cinderella's evil step-sister. "Well, this play seems to be interesting," he said. "I'll ask Kyo, along with my student Kunimitsu, that man who is teaching the class with Kyo. I'm sure they'd like to come." Tohru could sense doubt in Kazuma's voice.

And so the class ended within another five minutes and Tohru watched as the children all scurried out of the room, laughing and giggling. Kyo and Kunimitsu dried the sweat off of their red faces. Kunimitsu sat down against the wall, happy to be able to rest, and Kyo made his way out of the room. Before he walked out though, Kazuma stopped him.

"Kyo, I'd like to ask you something," Kazuma said as Kyo stopped before the door. Kyo eyed Tohru suspiciously, hoping that Kazuma wouldn't ask him to take her out on a date or something else similar to that.

"There's going to be a play at Kaibara High, the school where Yuki goes to. It's next week, and I was wondering if you would like to come … You too, Kunimitsu," Kazuma added when he saw that Kunimitsu was listening. He stood up and walked over to Kazuma, Kyo, and Tohru, seeming rather interested. Tohru had noticed that at the sound of Yuki's name, Kyo had balled his free hand into a fist, his other hand almost crushing the water bottle he was holding in his other.

"No," Kyo growled through gritted teeth. And with that, he stepped out of the room.

Tohru's expression was not of insult, but of shock. Kazuma had told her that Kyo and Yuki Sohma did not get along, but Tohru didn't think that it would prevent Kyo from going to her school to see the play. But then again, she thought of other reasons for Kyo not wanting to go but couldn't help thinking that Yuki was the main reason.

As Kyo stepped out of the room, Kazuma and Kunimitsu shook their heads. "I apologize for Kyo's behavior," Kazuma said rather disappointedly. "That was very rude of him, but I'm sure he knows it. When something involves Yuki, Kyo automatically refuses to be a part of it. They can't ever see each other without starting a fight." Tohru thought of Yuki, the prince of Kaibara High, fighting with someone. The thought was very hard to think up. "Oh, um, it's alright," Tohru responded, putting on a smile. "I understand! I couldn't think of a boy wanting to go see _Cinderella _anyway, but thank you for showing interest in it! Not much people showed as much interest as you have, Kazuma-san." Tohru bowed her head to show her appreciation. She then glanced out the window quickly and saw that it had stopped raining. She began to gather her things.

"Thank you so much, Kazuma-san, for letting me stay here while it rained," she said as she stood up and bowed. "It was very nice meeting you both—" Kunimitsu smiled "—and Kyo-san."

"Once again, I'm very sorry for Kyo's behavior," Kazuma apologized. Kunimitsu nodded in agreement. "Oh, it's okay!" Tohru responded. "It's really no problem! But now I don't want to be in your way any longer. The rain stopped so I think I'll go. Thank you again!" She turned and headed for the door, sliding it open, and smiled at Kazuma and Kunimitsu before shutting it.

Tohru stepped off the porch and walked down the muddy pathway that led to the sidewalk. She turned back to the dojo to get one last look at it and saw that Kyo was sitting on the porch, his chin in his hand and his legs dangling off the edge. He was no longer wearing his martial arts uniform, but a tight black shirt a khaki cargo pants. Tohru blushed, for he seemed to be watching her, and she nervously waved to him. "Goodbye, Kyo-san! It was nice meeting you!"

"Nn," was Kyo's grunted response.

Back inside the dojo, Kazuma and Kunimitsu were cleaning up the large room, preparing for the next martial arts class to arrive (Kyo was not to be teaching for the rest of the day). As Kunimitsu picked up the chairs to bring them back out into the hall, he spotted a slip of paper on the floor. Curious, Kunimitsu bent down to pick it up and scanned the form. "Kazuma-dono," he called, setting down the chairs and walking over to the shishou. "I think that girl left this here. Should we have Kyo run down the block to see if he can find her?" He handed Kazuma the paper.

Once Kazuma had the paper he scanned it as Kunimitsu had done, his eyes stopping on one particular word. A smile grazed his lips as he closed his eyes. "Honda," he whispered to himself.

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Reviews are most appreciated! If you don't like this story, please tell me! And if you love it, please tell me that also! The next chapter will be out soon, and I'll be looking forward to your feedback!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	2. A Pleasant, Yet Surprising, Evening

The second chapter is here! And I managed to write it in less than a week! I hope everyone is happy about me updating so soon! I also think this chapter is a little shorter, but the lengths of all of these chapters will vary. I would like to thank all of the people who read and reviewed. Taking time out of your day to read my story makes me very happy! Please enjoy this chapter!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: A Pleasant, Yet Surprising, Evening  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.

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Just stay right where I can see you

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When you go away I get so low

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Like temperatures when they're at their coldest

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When you go away I get so lonely

- _Stay Where I Can See You_ by the Starting Line

It was the day after Tohru had been at the dojo and she now stood before the stove in her kitchen, preparing breakfast for her and Kyoko. The dojo had seldom crossed her mind overnight but now, as she fumbled through one of the cabinets for bowls, plates, and cups, the events at the dojo seemed to flash through her mind. That is, until Tohru heard footsteps hurrying to the kitchen. Kyoko then ran in and pounced on her daughter. "Tohru-chaaaaaaan!" she sang happily. "Guess what! My friend is coming over tonight for dinner! Haven't seen him in years! He called while you were out yesterday and we talked for a while, just catching up on things, y'know? Anyway, do you think you would be able to cook a nice big dinner tonight? I would, but you know how my cooking is sometimes." Kyoko chuckled to herself and rubbed the back of her head.

"That's wonderful, Mom!" Tohru replied happily. "I'd love to cook dinner for you and your friend! What would you like me to cook?"

"First of all," Kyoko started as she pointed a finger at Tohru, moving it around as she spoke. "You're going to be eating with us too, along with his son. His son's about your age, so after dinner maybe you two could take a walk or something and get to know each other." Kyoko winked at Tohru, laughing as she patted her blushing daughter on the back. "Oh, um, Mom!" Tohru squeaked. "I-I don't want to be in the way, that is—"

"Of course you won't be in the way!" Kyoko interrupted, placing her hands on her hips. "If you're going to be in the way, I wouldn't have asked you to join us! Besides, do you think his son would want to sit at the table for the whole entire evening with two _old people_? No, no … I'm sure he would much rather be sitting across from a cute girl." Kyoko sniggered as Tohru's face grew more crimson by the second. "Eh, Mom! W-What would you like me to make for d-dinner?"

"Oh!" Kyoko now placed her chin in her hands and seemed to be thinking quite hard. "Sukiyaki!" she finally said. "He and I always used to eat it whenever we had the chance. I'm sure he'll enjoy it because you make the best sukiyaki I ever tasted!" Tohru smiled and nodded. "Okay! I'll start making it this afternoon."

The mother and daughter then sat down happily for breakfast once it was ready. Tohru was very glad that Kyoko's ankle had healed over the night, for she was able to go around the neighborhood with Tohru and sell more tickets to the play. Tohru had five costumers the previous day out of fifteen homes she had stopped at, including the dojo. Tohru would have had made six sales, but she understood Kyo's reasons for not wanting to attend the play.

At around four o'clock Tohru began the preparations for dinner. She and Kyoko stopped at the grocery store after selling tickets to buy the needed ingredients to make the sukiyaki. Their ticket sales weren't very successful that day, as they only had two costumers out of the many houses they visited. Kyoko's friend and his son were to arrive at seven o'clock, and Tohru suggested that they could have dinner right when they came and then have tea and dessert afterwards. Tohru bought ingredients to make a cake for the dessert.

Before the guests arrived, Kyoko suggested to Tohru that she dressed in something different to make a good impression on her friend's son. Of course, she had only been kidding but Tohru blushed and went upstairs to change into a skirt, a blouse, and a cardigan. Kyoko thought it was perfect for the occasion and as Tohru was setting up the table downstairs in the dining room, there was a knock at the front door. The house that Tohru and her mother lived in was a western-style house, lacking the traditional Japanese sliding paper doors.

"Oh, that's him! That's him!" Kyoko exclaimed excitedly, jumping off the counter and running out of the kitchen to the front door. Tohru smiled to herself, happy to see her mother excited. She knew that reuniting with an old friend must be wonderful for Kyoko. From the dining room, Tohru could hear her mother greet her friend and his son, for she was talking loudly due to her happiness. "Kazuma-chan!" she cried. "Why, you've cut off your hair! Why the hell'd you do that! And is this your son? He's got my hair color! That's awesome! Anyway, my daughter Tohru's somewhere in the dining room or the kitchen. And guess what she made! _Sukiyaki_! Kazuma-chan, she makes the best! I know you'll love it! And what's your son's name anyway? I don't think you told me on the phone last night."

Tohru dropped the dishtowel she was using to clean off the kitchen counter (she had gone into the kitchen to retrieve the platter of sukiyaki). Could Kyoko's friend and his son possibly be the people she met at the dojo yesterday? The man's name _was_ Kazuma, and his son's hair _was_ orange like Kyoko's, but could it possibly be? Tohru knew that the only way to find out was to bring the sukiyaki platter into the dining room and meet the two men. When Tohru walked into the dining room, platter in hand, she saw that the two men that were sitting at the table were, in fact, the two men she met at the dojo the previous day. Kazuma was straight ahead of her, smiling when he saw her walk in. Kyo was onTohru's left, his armsfoldedover his chest, looking at her from the corner of his eye once she had walked in, and Kyoko was on her right. Tohru walked to the table and set down the platter. She bowed to Kazuma and then to Kyo.

"Kazuma-san, Kyo-san, it's so very nice to see you two again!" Kazuma smiled and nodded, returning her greeting. Kyo muttered a "Pft" as Kyoko turned from Tohru to Kazuma, her eyes filled with confusion. "Wait a minute!" she said, beginning to laugh. "You know them Tohru?" Tohru nodded and sat down Native American-style at the table.

"She came to the door of my dojo yesterday, selling me tickets to her school play," Kazuma said. "It began raining so I let her come inside and she told me about it, but unfortunately, something came up so we're not able to attend it—" he eyed Kyo for a moment before continuing "—but if we were free, I certainly would have bought tickets. It sounds like it will be a wonderful production." Kazuma smiled.

"Some coincidence!" Kyoko laughed. "To think, my daughter knocked on your door and you didn't even know it! But what made you call all of the sudden? I forgot to ask you yesterday on the phone." Kazuma cleared his throat. "Well, Tohru-san had dropped a piece of paper with her name on it. When I saw the name Honda I instantly thought of you and dug up your number out of my address book." Kazuma broadened his smile. "Which reminds me …" Kazuma slipped a folded piece of paper from his belt and handed it to Kyo to give to Tohru. Tohru unfolded the paper and saw that it was her ticket selling form. Everyone at school who was participating in ticket sales had to fill out a form at the end of the sales indicating how many tickets were sold, etc. Tohru's name had been written on it, which explains how Kazuma knew that she was Kyoko's daughter.

"Oh, thank you very much Kazuma-san!" Tohru exclaimed when she took the piece of paper from Kazuma. "I don't know what I would do if I didn't have this form! Thank you!" Kazuma smiled and nodded in response and Kyoko grinned and patted Tohru's shoulder.

After the explanations, the four settled down and began eating. Kazuma found the sukiyaki absolutely wonderful, stating that it must have been the best he ever tasted. Kyo scarcely said anything, only quickly responding to questions asked by Kyoko and Tohru. Tohru could sense that Kyo was uncomfortable all throughout dinner and remained the same when they had dessert. When dessert was finished and Tohru began to clean the table, Kazuma suggested to Kyo that he should help her. Kyo had shot him a look as if to say, "Are you kidding me!" but Kazuma insisted and Kyo helped Tohru with a hard look on his face. When Kazuma and Kyoko headed off into the sitting room, Tohru and Kyo went in the kitchen to wash and dry the dishes.

During the process of washing and drying, neither Tohru nor Kyo spoke. Tohru was brewing up a conversation in her mind while she washed, and Kyo was doing his best not to say anything while he dried the dishes Tohru handed to him. The silence went on for a few minutes before Tohru finally thought of something to say to Kyo.

"H-How old are you, Kyo-san?" Tohru blurted out. Kyo did look the same age as her but since he was a little taller, he could have been older. Kyo didn't turn to Tohru when he responded, "Seventeen." Tohru grinned. "Me too! That's kind of coincidence, isn't it?" Kyo shrugged. "I don't really think it is."

And so, the silence continued. Tohru thought that maybe Kyo just didn't want to have anything to do with her, but she couldn't bear the idea of someone hating her. Yet, Tohru's guess was right. Kyo didn't want to have anything to do with her but knew that since she was his father's best friend's daughter, he would be seeing a lot of her. But there was something about this Tohru that drew you to her, in Kyo's opinion. He found himself apologizing whenever his hand lightly brushed against hers when she handed him a plate to dry and he mentally cursed himself whenever he responded coldly to one of her questions or comments.

When Tohru and Kyo went to the sitting room to join Kyoko and Kazuma, they found the two adults laughing happily while sitting together on the couch, looking through a photo album. They didn't notice Tohru and Kyo standing in the doorway, so Tohru bashfully asked Kyo if he would like to take a walk outside, letting the adults spend some time alone together so they could catch up. Kyo scratched his head, rolling his eyes and shrugging. "I don't care," he said with a sigh. Tohru nodded hesitantly and retrieved her coat off of the rack by the front door before she and Kyo stepped outside, started down the walkway, and walked onto the sidewalk. The streetlights above them added a golden glow to the dark sky, and there were a few stars that peeked out from under the midnight blue blankets of clouds.

"How long have you lived here in Tokyo, Kyo-san?" Tohru asked suddenly. She thought that maybe it hadn't been a while, for Kazuma might have called sooner. "Uh, a few weeks," Kyo responded, rubbing the back of his orange head. "Shishou bought a dojo here, along with a new house, and Kunimitsu came with us."

"You don't live at the dojo?"

"No, what kind of idiot would?"

"Oh, um, I thought—"

"Ugh, never mind," Kyo interrupted, stopping as he covered his eyes with his hand, holding up the other one. "Why would you wanna know anyway?" Tohru blushed and looked away. "Eh, um, that is—" how was she going to explain that she wanted to learn more about him in hopes of becoming friends? "—I-I was just curious. I'm sorry if I was being rude by asking you." Kyo shook his head, laying a hand on his forehead. "Nah, you weren't being rude, I just wanted to know why you were so interested." Tohru fiddled with her fingers, staring at her feet as they began to walk again. Two girls had passed them, giggling as they passed Kyo. Kyo seemed to not notice, not even when the girls had stopped and stared at his back, one girl saying to the other how cute he was. Tohru blushed at this comment, thinking of how lucky those girls must have thought she was, being able to walk with him.

The walk turned out to be a rather pleasant one, although Tohru and Kyo hadn't talked after their first conversation. They walked around the block, for Tohru lived on one that formed a square so that when they turned around four blocks, they were back on Tohru's street. It seemed to be getting late, so Tohru and Kyo went back to Tohru's house to find that Kyoko and Kazuma were still talking, laughing as they drank tea. Tohru and Kyo now joined them, Tohru sitting next to Kyoko, Kyo sitting next to Kazuma, and they all engaged in a happy conversation with the exception of Kyo just staring at the walls.

The evening was a very enjoyable one. Even though Tohru didn't know if Kyo had a good time or not, she knew she did. She hoped that Kyoko would invite him and Kazuma over again soon, or that Kazuma would invite them over to his home one night. Tohru wanted to learn more about Kyo, and hopefully become friends with him because she seemed to sense that he was a lonely person, for he didn't smile or laugh all night. Tohru wanted to rid that loneliness for him, but little did she know … she would do a lot more than that.

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Reviews are always greatly appreciated! The more you review, the more I'm encouraged to write! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll hopefully update for everyone before I go on vacation (I'll be away from August 11th to August 19th). If I don't, I'll make sure chapter three is longer!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	3. Cooking and Martial Arts

Bonsoir (it's about 9:00 PM) my wonderful readers! It's now the third chapter of Unexpected, and it's come sooner than I thought it would! Thank you so much for the reviews and thank you for reading! I'm actually very pleased with the way this story is unfolding, and sometimes I don't even know what's going to happen in the upcoming chapters (but I do know what's going to happen in the next chapter) and I find myself just typing away! I guess that was the case for this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it, because you all deserve it! Have fun reading!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: Cooking and Martial Arts  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.

* * *

I fought you for so long

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I should have let you in

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Oh how we regret those things we do

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And all I was trying to do was save my own skin

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But so were you

- _Be My Escape_ by Relient K

Three days passed since the evening Kazuma and Kyo were over Tohru's house. Every time the phone rang Tohru would always cross her fingers, hoping it would be Kazuma calling to see if the four of them (meaning Kyoko, Kazuma, Tohru, and Kyo) could get together again sometime. The phone had barely rung during those days, and when it did, it was sometimes Tohru's grandfather, sometimes advertisements, and sometimes even bill collectors. The previous day, Tohru had received a phone call after school from one of her best friends, Arisa Uotani, inviting her and Kyoko out to dinner with her and their other best friend, Saki Hanajima, who was to be playing Cinderella in the school play. During dinner Tohru hadn't mentioned anything about meeting Kyo, but Kyoko did mention to Arisa and Saki that an old friend had come by for a visit. Tohru and Kyoko knew how protective of Tohru Arisa and Saki could be when it came to boys.

Tohru and Kyoko had also finished ticket selling … Well, almost. They had three tickets left, and they didn't know if going around the neighborhood would help, just in case a customer of theirs needed four or more. Kyoko told Tohru she would call some people she knew to see if any of them were interested in going to the play.

It was then that the phone rang for the first time that day. It was after school and Tohru was preparing lunch for Kyoko as she came in the kitchen and picked the receiver up from the base that hung on the wall. She greeted the person on the other line, paused, and then smiled. Tohru could tell from her smile that it was Kazuma who was calling, and Tohru continued to prepare lunch, a smile on her face as well. Kyoko and Kazuma talked for about ten minutes before Kyoko hung up the phone and turned to Tohru. "We're going to go to Kazuma-chan's tonight for dinner, okay? If you don't want to, I can always call him up and tell him that another night's better"

"Oh, I'd love to go to Shishou-san's tonight!" Tohru exclaimed, her smile growing wider. "I'm sure we'll have as much fun as we did Saturday night! Should I cook something to bring over as a thank you for having us?" Kyoko nodded, smiling. "Sure! We can go to the grocery store if you need anything." She then raised her right eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest, her smile turning into a smirk. "Since when did you start calling him 'Shishou-san'? I've only heard his students call him that." Tohru wiped her hands on her apron. "Oh, Kyo-san called him that while we were on our walk! I guess I kind of picked that up from him." Tohru turned to the counter so her mother couldn't see her face turn red.

Tohru and Kyoko went to the grocery store after Kyoko had her lunch. Tohru bought ingredients to make a cake, being that Kazuma had enjoyed the cake she made on Saturday night almost as much as he enjoyed the sukiyaki. It was six o'clock by the time the cake was baked and frosted, and Kyoko and Tohru were expected at Kazuma's by seven. Tohru remembered Kyo mentioning that he and Kazuma didn't live at the dojo, and she made sure that Kyoko knew.

"Yup, Kazuma-chan told me on the phone," Kyoko said. "I don't even know where the dojo is, remember. Kazuma-chan and Orange—" Kyoko called Kyo 'Orange' because of his hair color "—just moved here from Kyoto a few weeks ago. Kazuma-chan said that his house isn't as close as the dojo is, so we'll probably take my car."

By seven Tohru had changed out of her school uniform (she hadn't any time to change when she got home) and into a long-sleeved turtleneck dress. The dress was black at the torso but when it was the actual dress itself, which started at the waist, it was printed with colorful flowers.

They arrived at Kazuma's home, after Kyoko had passed it several times, at ten after seven. Kazuma was rather amused when Kyoko explained why they were a little late and he showed them to the dining room where Kyo was already sitting, arms folded over his chest, staring at the food on the table with a grimace on his face. Tohru followed his gaze, which led her eyes to the center of the table where the food was set. Tohru couldn't even make out what it was, for the food was completely black. She felt herself sweat drop as she put on a nervous grin. Behind her, she heard Kyoko laugh. "You never were a good cook, were you?" she told Kazuma teasingly. Tohru didn't hear Kazuma respond, but she did hear him chuckle. Kyoko then patted Tohru on the back. "Tohru here can make dinner if you want! She's a great cook! Maybe she can look for something to make in your refrigerator and cabinets?"

"That would be good," Kazuma replied. "I just wish I had the ingredients for sukiyaki!" He laughed, now talking to Tohru, "That sukiyaki on Saturday night was just wonderful! And I'm sure that cake you baked—thank you for making it, by the way. You really didn't have to—will be wonderful too. But maybe Kyo could help you find something to make, Tohru-san? He's pretty good at cooking."

Kyoko and Tohru both looked at Kyo. Tohru was smiling and Kyoko began laughing. Kyo shot Kazuma a scornful look as he got up and went to the kitchen. Kazuma began to laugh to himself as Kyo slammed the dining room door shut. "Don't mind him," he told Kyoko and Tohru. "He's just shy, that's all. Tohru-san, you can go in the kitchen and cook something if you'd like." Tohru nodded, opening the dining room door after she had set her cake on the table. "Okay! What would you two like me to make?"

"Surprise us," Kazuma simply said. Tohru nodded once again and slid the paper sliding door shut, hearing Kyoko say "What the hell did you try to make?" as she started down the hall, looking for the kitchen. The hall was scarcely furnished, with an occasional table set against the wall, some plants ahead of her in the corners, and paintings on the walls. Once Tohru heard the clanging of pots and pans in the room next to her, she slowly slid open the paper door to see Kyo on his knees in front of a cabinet. Tohru smiled to herself as she quietly stepped into the kitchen and slid the door shut. She walked over to the counter and stood next to Kyo, whose head was now in the cabinet, for he seemed to be looking for something specific. Tohru thought that maybe he knew she was there, but was ignoring her, yet there was the possibility that he didn't know she was there. Tohru placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Kyo-san?"

Kyo quickly picked up his head, banging it on the top of the cabinet. He groaned and began to rub it as pots and pans came spilling out of the cabinet. They all landed on Kyo's lap and the floor, making loud crashing noises. Kyo took his head out of the cabinet and turned to Tohru. "What the hell! Why did you sneak up on me like that! Shit, you could've at least knocked or something before you came in! Or at least you could've been a little louder!" He shoved the pots and pans out of his lap as he began to pile them back into the cabinet, obviously forgetting what he was looking for. Tohru began to stammer as she stepped back a little bit.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry K-Kyo-san! I didn't know I-I'd scare you like that! I'm so sorry!" She bowed repeatedly. Kyo took a second to turn away from the cabinet and look at Tohru. Her voice and face were one hundred percent sincere when she said how sorry she was, and Kyo realized that he was too hard on her. He turned away, smacked himself in the face, and stood up as he closed the cabinet. He took a folded apron from off the counter and handed it to Tohru. "So? You got any ideas of what you can cook?" Tohru stared at Kyo for a minute, surprised at how his mood suddenly changed, and hesitantly took the apron he offered. "Hm …" she started. "It depends on what you have in the cabinets and the refrigerator!"

Kyo looked through the cabinets and the refrigerator, finding only a box of curry in one of the cabinets. He took it out and stared at it, then handed it to Tohru. "I guess you can make this," he told her. "You already know where the pots and pans are. If you need anything else, just ask Shishou." Kyo started for the sliding door as Tohru quickly grabbed his arm. As Kyo turned around, Tohru blushed at her boldness. "Eh, um … Would you like to cook dinner with me, Kyo-san? Shishou-san said that you're a very good cook!" Kyo grimaced. "I know he did, I was in the room when he said it, you know. But I'm not that great of a cook. Sure, I'm better than Shishou—pft, a helluva lot better—but," he lowered his head, his voice softening, "I don't think I could compete … with your cooking."

"Kyo-san, this apron is so cute!"

Kyo looked up, his face beat red, to see Tohru admiring the apron she now had on. Kyo breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't heard his compliment and he turned away and shrugged. The apron Tohru was wearing was white and red striped, similar to a candy cane. "Do you wear this apron when you cook, Kyo-san?" Tohru asked. "Hell no!" Kyo hollered. "What kind of man would cook with an apron?" And Kyo _was_ telling the truth; he never wore that apron when he cooked. He just didn't want Tohru to think he did if he answered casually. "Oh, okay!" Tohru laughed. "Shall we start making the curry then?" Kyo nodded, looking at the back of the curry box to see how it would be cooked. He got out the ingredients while Tohru got out the needed supplies. Once they were ready, they began to prepare the dinner.

Little conversation was swapped during the making of the curry, but Tohru and Kyo talked more than they did on Saturday night during their walk. They talked about school and Tohru learned that Kyo didn't go to school, for he was home taught by Kazuma. Tohru then brought up Yuki Sohma, but regretted doing so. Tohru had asked Kyo if he and Yuki were first cousins and if they had a good relationship with each other. Tohru instantly saw Kyo's hand ball into a fist and his body stiffened. "I'd rather not talk about that asshole," he said through gritted teeth. Tohru quickly apologized for bringing Yuki up, but Kyo didn't say anything after that.

The curry was finished by eight, and Tohru brought it into the dining room where Kyoko and Kazuma sat, talking happily as they did on Saturday. Tohru served everyone, then gave herself a plate of the food, and then they all sat down to eat. Kazuma and Kyoko enjoyed the curry very much, and complimented both Tohru and Kyo for making such an enjoyable dinner. They ate the cake after dinner was finished, and found that wonderful too. Kyo hadn't spoken all throughout dinner, as he had on Saturday, but Tohru felt somewhat relieved that he had opened up to her a little bit while they made dinner. After dinner and dessert were finished, Kazuma suggested something to Kyo.

"Kyo, why don't you and Tohru-san go outside in front of the house? You can show her how good you are at martial arts." Tohru's eyes lid up. "Oh, that'd be wonderful! I'd love to see some martial arts, Kyo-san! Do you think you could show me some moves?" Kyo looked from Kazuma, his easy smile making Kyo want to spit at the idea, and then to Tohru, who's brightened face and hopeful eyes told him that he couldn't say no. But he couldn't make them think that he _wanted_ to take her outside. No, he didn't. He had to. Kyo knew that refusing would be the wrong, and stupid, thing to do. "Fine," he said eventually, looking down at his feet as he got up and started out of the dining room. Tohru stood up, looking at her mother and Kazuma, then Kyo, and then her mother and Kazuma again. "Shouldn't we clean the dishes first?"

"Don't worry about that, Tohru-san," Kazuma said. "Your mother and I will clean them."

"Sure, it can't hurt us," Kyoko added, waving a hand. "You two go outside and have fun." Kyoko then winked at her daughter, causing Tohru's blood to rush to her face. She nodded, a nervous grin on her face, as she followed Kyo out of the dining room. Kyo took her jacket out of the closet for her and they headed outside once Tohru put it on. She questioned to Kyo why he didn't have his on, for it was quite a chilly evening. "Martial arts always gets me worked up, and I get hot regardless the temperature," he told her.

Kyo now felt uncomfortable standing in front of Tohru, having her wait for him to start showing her some martial arts. Instead, he thought of something else he could do.

"Do you know any moves?"

"Hm?"

"Do you know any martial arts moves?"

Tohru looked at Kyo, thinking for a minute. She thought of all the martial arts moves she'd seen on television and, recollecting them, she nodded. "Yup! I think I know a few moves!" Before Kyo could say anything, Tohru punched her arms about, shouting "Right! Straight!" as her punch landed on Kyo's arm. Tohru had punched as hard as she could, but it didn't appear that it had affected Kyo at all. What did happen was a smirk slowly played across Kyo's face after he stared at Tohru as if she had nine heads. It was the only thing closest thing to a smile Tohru had seen Kyo give her, and she felt her insides warm. "You know, you really suck. At martial arts, I mean," Kyo said.

For the rest of the night Kyo showed Tohru the correct way to do that move she had attempted, helping her place her arms in the right position and do the punch correctly. The two didn't know that an hour and a half had passed before Tohru finally got the hand of it, and she and Kyo both knew that it was time they went inside, for Tohru had school the next day. As they both walked back to the house, Kyo yearned to ask her a question but was afraid of the answer he might get. But as they got closer to the house, he felt the question sliding up his throat, sitting on his tongue, and then it spurt out of his mouth.

"Are there any tickets left to your school play?"

* * *

I'm sorry to say that chapter four might not come out until after I come back from vacation (see the bottom page of chapter two) … but if it does, it will be a miracle! As you can see, these chapters really don't take that long for me to write, so I just might update! I hope I do! I also hope that you all enjoyed this chapter, and it's actually a little longer too! If I don't update until after my vacation, I hope all enjoy the upcoming two weeks. You all deserve it!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	4. A Modern Day Cinderella

Hello! As I had hoped, I am updating before I leave for vacation! I'm actually leaving tomorrow (August 11th), so it's perfect timing! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and thank you for supporting me and my story! I'm really glad you all like it!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: A Modern Day Cinderella  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.

* * *

There's pixies tugging at your hair

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You're so beautiful tonight

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There's pixies tugging at your hair

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It's all beautiful tonight

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Your hair …

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You're so beautiful tonight

- _Caterpillars_ by the Spill Canvas

It was now Friday, September twenty-third, the day of Tohru's school's production of _Cinderella_. Tohru was at school, which was now in an uproar because Saki Hanajima was absent due to a rather incontrollable fever. Her mother had called the school, explaining to the nurse that "Saki-chan has a strange fever … one minute it's over one hundred degrees and then the next it's ninety-eight … I've never seen that kind of fever in all my life … I'm sorry, but Saki-chan will not be able to perform in the play tonight … I'm very sorry, but at those moments when her temperature is over one hundred she gets very weak, and if that happens tonight it will be bad for both her and the play … Yes, thank you very much for understanding … I hope you will be able to find someone else to play Cinderella," and now teachers were making numerous amounts of phone calls to the costume fitter, Ayame Sohma, who was one of Yuki Sohma's relatives (Tohru thought he was possibly one of Kyo's too), asking him to please come over to the school and fit a new costume on the new Cinderella, yet the girl who was it be Cinderella was still unknown.

That's where the students came in. They all went about the school, looking for people who could possibly learn Cinderella's lines by that night. Every student who was asked refused, but it wasn't until Tohru was asked that a new light shone on the play.

"I know all of Cinderella's lines already!" Tohru said happily, waving the script she was holding as she practiced her lines with Arisa Uotani. Arisa was to be playing one of the prince's servants, one who was rather close to him and gave him advice. Although this character was a boy, Arisa didn't seem to mind playing it. "You do!" the student who had asked Tohru gasped in belief. "Then can you take Hanajima-san's place as Cinderella in the play? We can find someone to play your part, but we really need you to play her! She's the lead! We can't do it without her!" Tohru seemed a little uneasy about this. "Oh, um … I d-don't know … W-What if I g-get stage fright?"

"Cut it out, Tohru! You'd be a great Cinderella!" Arisa encouraged her. "Besides, you know all of her lines already—honestly, I don't know how you do it—so it'll be a cinch. Trust me."

And so, Tohru agreed to play Cinderella. Shortly after that Ayame Sohma arrived at the school with his assistant Mine, and together they fitted Tohru into a beautiful dress that she was to wear to the evening ball, and also an outfit that she would wear at the house. Both teachers and students were amazed at how the two costume fitters prepared Tohru's costumes so quickly, but they didn't complain, for they all were greatly relieved that the new Cinderella was found. A new girl was found to play Tohru's part, so everything was settled and calm at the school.

Due to the amount of time it would take to get ready for the play, Tohru stayed at school to help with the preparations. She phoned Kyoko to tell her that she would be at school for the rest of the day, and told her about the changes in the play. Kyoko was thrilled at the thought of her daughter playing Cinderella, and she bade her farewell, saying that she would be at the school for six forty-five with Kazuma, Kyo, and Kunimitsu.

Yes, Kazuma bought those last three tickets Tohru had left. That night after Kyo and Tohru had gone inside, and Kyo had asked if there were any tickets left, Tohru told him that there was just enough for him, Kazuma, and Kunimitsu and that she would be able to give them to Kazuma the following day. Kazuma was very happy to hear that Kyo had changed his mind about going once he was told, as was Tohru. Although Tohru didn't know what triggered Kyo's mind to make this decision, Kazuma had an idea.

It was now six-thirty, a half hour before the play was to commence. Tohru stood in the small dressing room she was given and looked herself in the mirror. She wore Cinderella's working outfit: a dark brown dress with extended sleeves (both of Saki's costumes had been black; Ayame had made alterations on an old dress that Mine had brought with them) and an off-white apron, along with a bandana that was snugly wrapped around her head. Tohru's hair was arranged in a neatly fashion, the way it always was. As she looked at her reflection she came to the conclusion that she would be a fairly good Cinderella. There was a knock at the door and Tohru let the knocker in. It was a member of the play committee, and they had come to tell Tohru that she was due on the stage in two minutes. Just then, before she went onto the stage, she thought of Kyoko, Kazuma, Kyo, and Kunimitsu, and how they must be sitting in the audience at that moment, waiting for the curtains to open.

Tohru was right: the group of four sat in the audience, third row center as a matter of fact, waiting for the production to begin. Kyo sat with his elbow propped up on his chair's armrest, his chin in his hand, ignoring the fact that Momiji Sohma, Kisa Sohma, Hiro Sohma, and Hatsuharu Sohma, all related to him, were in the front row. Kyo figured they were probably there to see Yuki perform. He had given Kazuma the impression earlier, when he had seen them as well, that he didn't want them to know he was there. To get his mind off of them, and to pass time before the play started, Kyo looked at the small little program he was given when he walked into the auditorium. So Tohru was playing Cinderella's step-sister, huh? Kyo found that hard to believe. And he wondered how Kyoko could hold her chin up and smile at everyone, knowing her daughter was playing someone who was considered one of the 'evil' characters. It just didn't make any sense.

Unbeknownst to Kyo, Kyoko had told Kazuma about the changes Tohru had told her about. Kazuma said that it was wonderful that Tohru was playing Cinderella, and Kunimitsu agreed. Since Kyo was sitting on the edge of the row, he wasn't able to hear the conversation, and he really didn't care either.

Finally the lights dimmed and the crowd began to hush. The curtains slowly opened, revealing a bunch of props that sat on the stage, including Tohru, who was sitting on the ground, pretending to wipe the floor with a small towel. Well, was this a surprise! Kyo was told that she was playing Cinderella's step-sister, not Cinderella herself! Kyo looked back and forth from the program to the stage, and heard Kyoko sniggering next to him. As Kyo regained himself, he didn't want to admit it, but Tohru looked rather … _pretty_. With a tint of blush on her face, the lights above the stage shining down on her, the bandana pushing her hair out of her face … she looked cute. Kyo found himself suddenly becoming slightly uncomfortable in his seat, as he did Wednesday evening while he and Tohru were outside. He shifted back and forth, not realizing that his eyes were on Tohru the whole time, until he felt more at ease when he saw a boy standing on the side of the stage. The spotlight was now on him, and he held a microphone as he browsed through the audience, a large smile on his face. Kyo looked at the program to see what this guy's name was. He saw the words 'Narrator' and next to it was the name Kakeru Manabe. Kakeru cleared his throat and began the narration of the play.

"Once upon a time," he started with a hint of amusement in his voice, "In a land faraway, there was a small house occupied by three women. The oldest woman was the mother of a young girl, and a step-mother to another. This woman's step-daughter was constantly put to work cleaning and cooking and catering her step-mother and step-sister. Her name is Cinderella, and this is the story of how her life is changed by a simple visit from a fairy godmother … Erm, priest." The audience all clapped as Kakeru stepped off the stage. The spotlight now shone on Minami Kinoshita (she was in one of the most popular clubs among the girls at Kaibara, the Prince Yuki Fan Club, dedicated to Yuki Sohma), who was playing Cinderella's step-mother. Minami walked across the stage, followed by Cinderella's step-sister, played by Mio Yamagashi, another member from the Prince Yuki Fan Club. As the step-mother reached Cinderella, she looked down at her, bellowing out orders as Cinderella cringed and stared up at her, apologizing for anything she might have done. Cinderella scurried up, slipping on the area she had been washing.

Watching Tohru being yelled at, even though it was only acting, made Kyo unconsciously ball his hand into a fist.

Before the first scene ended, and after the invitation to the ball was given, Cinderella's fairy godmother appeared, who was being played by a random boy named Ryuichi Suzuki. Kyo now understood why Kakeru Manabe had said 'fairy god priest'; Ryuichi was dressed in robes, rather than a dress, and somewhat resembled a priest.

After her visit from the fairy god priest, Cinderella continued cleaning as the curtains closed. The audience clapped, Kyoko standing on her feet shouting "Go Tohru!" It was another two minutes before the curtains reopened. The stage was now crowded, the scenery more elegant, and Kyo could guess even without looking at the program that this was the beginning of the ball scene. Kakeru appeared on the side of the stage, microphone in hand, and everyone turned their attention to Kakeru as the spotlight shone on him.

"After her visit from the fairy god priest, Cinderella was looking forward to the next evening, which was the night of the ball. Her step-mother and step-sister had no idea that she was going, and didn't even notice her slip into her room sometimes to try on the beautiful gown she was given. All throughout the next day, Cinderella heard her step-mother and step-sister go on and on about Cinderella's step-sister dancing with the Prince, and how she would be the most beautiful girl at the ball that night. Now it is the evening of the ball, and the Prince is sitting with his servant as girls ask him to join them for a dance."

Kyo looked to the program to see who was playing the Prince. He scrolled the program for the word 'Prince' and he found the name Yuki Sohma a few spaces after it. Kyo looked up to the stage and saw that it was indeed Yuki who sat on the throne at the head of the stage, looking out into the audience with a faint smile on his face. Kyo found himself slowly crumpling the program into a ball, disgusted that Yuki would have to kiss Tohru at the end of the play.

But then again, why did he care?

At that moment, Kyo forgot about everything he was thinking of. He even forgot where he was, for Tohru had just entered the stage, and Kyo had never seen any girl in his whole life look the way she did at that moment.

Tohru wore a big light blue gown with her hair pushed back into a fancy up-do. Her face seemed to shimmer and her eyes twinkled under the luminescent lights of the stage. She wore matching earrings and a necklace and lace gloves on her hands. Just visible at her feet were two glass slippers, just like in the story. Kyo heard Kyoko gasp as Tohru walked toward the center of the stage, but Kyo couldn't even find his voice. Her appearance at that moment had actually made him breathless.

The ball scene ended with Cinderella accidentally leaving her shoe at the ball after her dance with the Prince. Kyo noticed how Tohru's face was red the whole time she danced with Yuki, and she didn't even look him in the eye. Soon after the fifteen minute intermission, the play continued with the scenes of the Prince searching for the beautiful woman who had left her shoe at the ball and then the happy ending of Cinderella and the Prince being married. To Kyo's relief, Tohru and Yuki didn't have to kiss.

When the play was finished, Kyoko, Kazuma, Kunimitsu, and Kyo all waited for the auditorium to settle down before they went back stage to congratulate Tohru on her performance. Backstage was a big fiasco, but the group managed to slip into Tohru's dressing room. There were other people in there besides Tohru, congratulating her. After they all left, Kyoko took her daughter into a tight hug.

"You were awesome!" Kyoko muffled into her daughter's hair. "Oh, t-thank you Mom!" Tohru said. Kyo could see that her face was flushed from all of the congratulations she had received. When Kyoko released Tohru, Kazuma and Kunimitsu both congratulated her, saying they have never seen anyone play Cinderella better than she did. Kyo hadn't a chance to tell her that she did well, for they were quickly hurried out of the dressing room by the play committee. It's not that Kyo _wanted_ to … he just felt that it was the right thing to do, being that she actually _was_ a good Cinderella.

That evening, as Kyo lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling, all he could do was think of Tohru and how beautiful she was during the ball scene.

But how come?

* * *

I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to update during the next two weeks, due to my vacation. But I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'll admit it wasn't much, but I was kind of in a rush. Sorry about that! I hope everyone enjoys the following two weeks, and I promise that chapter five will be longer!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	5. Vacation for Four

I'm back from my vacation everyone! I had a good time. If anyone was wondering where I went, I went to Kansas City, Kansas, Branson, Missouri, and St. Louis, Missouri. When I was in Kansas City I got some of your reviews because I had computer access there, but I couldn't write out this chapter. But I started it when I was in St. Louis. It feels really weird writing out fan fiction on paper -giggle- Well, it's been less than two weeks, I'm glad to say. And I wrote this chapter in two days! That's a new record, I think. And I realized that I kept forgetting the disclaimer in the previous chapters. From this chapter on I'll have one … I always forget to add it while editing -giggle- I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: Vacation for Four  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

Cause it's you and me, and all of the people

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With nothing to do, nothing to lose

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And it's you and me, and all of the people

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And I don't know why

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I can't keep my eyes off of you

-_ You and Me_ by Lifehouse

September soon turned to October and October soon turned to November. Tohru, Kyo, Kazuma, and Kyoko got together every Saturday night for dinner and every Wednesday night they went to the movies or got ice cream—sometimes even both. Tohru and Kyo became very good friends, despite the fact that Kyo never smiled. It seemed to him that those thoughts he had about Tohru the night of the play were just a phase. Besides, boys always acted that way after seeing a beautiful girl. But now Kyo's thoughts towards Tohru were nothing more than friendly, or so he thought. To him, you didn't have to smile or laugh with a person to let them know you liked them. All Kyo did was act respectful and friendly toward Tohru, and that was enough.

Tohru, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck around Kyo. She constantly blushed and trembled, causing her to drop something she was holding or trip if she was walking, and she stuttered when she talked. If Kyo noticed, he didn't seem to mention anything about it. Tohru thought she acted this way because she actually never had a boy for a friend before. She had always been friends with Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima and not once did a boy have intentions of being friends with her, so it seemed like a new experience that she had to get used to.

It was now a Saturday evening and the group was at a diner for dinner. Tohru sat next to her mother in a booth while Kyo sat across from her, next to Kazuma on the other side. They all looked at menus, deciding what they wanted to have for dinner, when Kyoko placed down her menu and sighed. "You know, I think we should all go on a trip," she said. Tohru, Kyo, and Kazuma all looked up from their menus. "That does sound like a good idea," Kazuma agreed. "Kyo and I haven't been away in ages. What place do you have in mind?" Kyoko positioned a finger on her chin, pondering for a minute, mumbling the names of cities and countries to herself. Finally, she thought of the perfect place for a vacation.

"Paris!"

"Paris … ?"

"Paris?"

"Paris … that sounds nice," Kazuma said, chuckling. "I've never been there before. When I was younger, I always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, but my parents never had the money to take me."

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Kyoko said. She turned to Tohru and Kyo. "So, you two up to it? You think you'll be able to keep your hands off those pretty French girls, Orange?"

"Pfft, I'm not going to Paris," Kyo spat. "What the hell am I gonna do there?"

"Tohru-chan'll be there," Kyoko sang, nudging Tohru with a grin on her face. "Yes, I'd love to go to Paris!" Tohru said. "It's such a beautiful city! Kyo-kun—" Kyo had told Tohru to stop calling him 'san' "—I'd have a lot of fun if you came!" Kyo felt his face twitch, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned his head.

For the rest of their dinner Tohru, Kyoko, and Kazuma spoke about planning their trip to Paris. Kyoko was to handle the attractions and hotels in Paris, while Kazuma took care of the plane ride. By the time dinner was over and the group was walking back to Kazuma's, they decided that they would leave for Paris on the twenty-fourth of November and return on the tenth of December, which would give them a total of fifteen days in Paris. While Tohru and Kyoko were walking back to their house (they decided to walk home instead of drive), Tohru questioned Kyoko about school. "I don't want to miss anything important, Mom! I did tell you I would graduate for you … maybe I shouldn't go …"

"Don't be crazy!" Kyoko exclaimed, amusement in her voice. "We'll just get your work from your teachers. You work yourself too hard, Tohru. You need a little break. If you really want to, you can do your work while we have free time in Paris. You'll have a lot of fun! I'm sure Kazuma-chan'll talk Orange into going."

"A-Are you sure Mom?"

Kyoko shook her head, beaming. "Positive." She took Tohru into a warm embrace as they both stood in front of the door to their home, the light above the door illuminating the darkness.

It was now the day before the trip, and everything was planned. The group would leave for Paris the next morning, and come home on the evening December tenth. Kyo still didn't give in about joining them on the trip, but Kazuma bought an extra plane ticket for him and Kyoko made sure there were two beds in Kazuma's room at the hotel, just in case. The group now was at the movies, sitting in the center of the theater while waiting for the movie to start. Kyoko and Kazuma talked quietly with each other, discussing the driving arrangements to the airport on Thursday morning. Tohru and Kyo sat in silence, Tohru thinking of a way to persuade Kyo to come on the trip.

"Where are you going to stay when we're in Paris, Kyo-kun?" she asked quietly. Kyo noticed the sadness in her voice as she asked the question. "I dunno," Kyo replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll probably stay with Kunimitsu."

"Oh ... I'm sure you two will have fun!"

"Yeah, I guess …"

"You won't feel lonely when Kunimitsu-san's not there, will you? If you want I can stay with you! I don't have to go to Paris if you're not going!"

Kyo was taken aback by Tohru's offer. Stay here in Japan while Kyoko and Kazuma were in Paris, just because he was? And when she wanted to go so much? Kyo realized that she really wanted him to come on the trip and enjoy himself. He couldn't blame her; being with two adults for fifteen days without anyone your age around would be pretty boring. But he couldn't give in now … they were leaving the next morning. Kyo shook his head, realizing that he hadn't replied to Tohru yet. "Don't be crazy," he said. "I'll go."

Tohru's eyes lit up. Did Kyo just say what he thought he said? It wasn't supposed to come out that way!

"Do you mean it Kyo-kun!" Tohru asked, her voice full of excitement. "Are you really going to come to Paris with us?" Hearing this, Kyoko and Kazuma turned their heads and all eyes were on Kyo. He put his head down, sighed, and lifted it back up. "Well … it'll be pretty boring here since Kunimitsu has only three classes to teach and—" he couldn't say he wanted to go to make Tohru happy, Kazuma and Kyoko would suspect things "—I don't know, I'll just frickin' go! Shit, do I have to have a reason?"

"Actually Kyo," Kazuma said, smiling and holding up a finger. "Nobody asked you why you were coming."

"… Shut up!" Kyo hollered back, drawing attention from the other people who were sitting in the theater as well. Kyoko shook a finger at Kyo. "You shouldn't make scenes like that in public, Orange."

"I really wish you wouldn't call me Orange," Kyo said lazily as he propped an elbow on his armrest and placed his chin in his hands. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Tohru's face beaming as the lights dimmed and the coming attractions starting flickering across the movie screen.

At five-thirty the next morning Tohru and Kyoko drove to Kazuma's house. Their flight was at seven-thirty, yet they still needed time for the cab to pick them up and to go through security at the airport. Kyo was in the kitchen, drinking milk straight out of the carton, when Tohru and Kyoko walked in (Kyoko let herself in, being that the door was open … It _was_ her best friend's house, anyway). "Good morning Kyo-kun!" greeted Tohru. Despite it being five-thirty in the morning, she was as bright and cheerful as ever. Kyo wasn't too groggy either, but Kyoko was slouched and there were bags under her eyes. Kyo rose up a hand as his greeting, and Kyoko collapsed onto the floor by the table. "Mom!" Tohru shrieked, kneeling beside Kyoko. "Are you alright?"

"Sleep …," Kyoko said with exhaustion. "Need … sleep."

"You'll be able to rest on the plane!" Tohru responded soothingly while stroking her mother's hair. "Right now we all have to get to the airport. The cab Shishou-san called for should be here soon, and then we have to go through security, and then you'll be able to rest before we get on the plane! And even when we're flying there you'll be able to sleep!

"Speaking of Shishou-san, where is he, Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked. Kyo tore his mouth away from the spout on the carton of milk he was drinking. "Sleeping," he mumbled. "Nya!" Tohru shrieked, jumping to her feet. "W-We have to get him up!" Casually, as if it wasn't a problem, Kyo returned the milk to the refrigerator and left the kitchen. A few moments after that Kyoko finally got up, rubbing her eyes and yawning excessively. Kyo then returned with Kazuma, who looked as if he had been up for three hours. He was dressed, his hair was combed (unlike Kyoko's), and he was smiling. "Hello Tohru-san," he greeted. "Kyoko-chan, you really shouldn't go to sleep so late."

"Ugh, be quiet," Kyoko muffled in response, her head bowed down from fatigue. "I got enough sleep last night … I just need a little more."

The cab came on schedule, and the four were shuttled to the airport. Kyoko woke up a little more by the time they were going through security, only because one of the male guards tried to search her, yet she thought he was doing something else. They all eventually passed security and waited to board their flight. While waiting, they got breakfast at a little café that was by their boarding gate. When it was time, they all boarded, but found some difficulty finding seats. It was arranged that Tohru, Kyoko, and Kyo would sit in the same row while Kazuma sat in the row next to them, but there were no free rows. The group walked down the aisle in search of any free seats. Kyoko spotted a row that had two free seats, the occupied one being the furthest from the window. Kyoko patted the man on the shoulder, who was listening to his iPod. Pausing the song he was listening to, he looked up at Kyoko. "Excuse me," Kyoko said in a polite tone, grinning. "Do you mind if these two nice kids sit in those seats next to you?"

"Go ahead. They better not bother me, though."

"Don't worry, they won't. Thank you very much."

Kyoko motioned for Tohru and Kyo to slip by the person and into their seats. Kyo let Tohru go first, giving her the window seat. As Tohru passed the person she and Kyo were sitting with she thanked him and bowed her head. Kyo didn't say anything to him. Kyoko found a seat six rows in front of Kyo and Tohru, while Kazuma had to sit on the other side of the plane. There was now ten minutes before the plane would take off.

"Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked, turning her head away from the window to face Kyo. Kyo could see that her hands were shaking in her lap. "Yeah?" Kyo replied, raising an eyebrow. Tohru's voice was filled with worry as she asked her question. "Have you ever been on a plane before?"

"No, why?"

"Do you know if it's scary or not?"

"Is that why you look so horror-stricken?"

"I-I'm sorry, Kyo-kun. I've just never been on a p-plane before … I've always been scared of them. Ever since that event that happened in America a few years ago I've been … n-nervous about going on planes. And they're so loud, and I heard that your ears blow up when you take off!" Kyo rolled his eyes at her comment. "No, they don't blow up," he corrected. "They just pop for a moment. But if you chew gum it isn't so bad." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of gum and handed her one of the wrapped pieces. "You have to chew a lot, though, like a cow kind of." Tohru giggled as she unwrapped the gum he handed her and popped it into her mouth. She began to chew on it ferociously, drawing attention from the people around her. Kyo bopped her on the head. "Not now! When we take off, stupid! Sheesh, and you don't hafta overdo it!"

Flight attendants, both Japanese and French, were now standing in the aisle. A bell rang and everyone talking on the plane became silent. "Good morning everyone, and thank you for flying with Japan Airlines. Please take notice to the flight attendants as they show you all of the safety features on our plane," one of the pilots said over the loudspeaker. The same sentence was then repeated in French. The flight attendants went over the safety features which showed you how to buckle and unbuckle your seatbelt, use your seat cushion as a floatation device, and secure a mask on your face in case of any fumes or smokes. When the time for takeoff came, Kyo could sense Tohru stiffening next to him. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she clung onto her chair's armrests.

"Are you okay?"

Tohru cautiously opened her eyes, her face flushed. "Oh, eh, I'm fine Kyo-kun!—" the plane started moving toward the runway "—uwaaah!" She squeezed her eyes shut again and clung onto her chair's armrests for dear life, her knuckles turning white from her tight grip. Kyo didn't know what to do to keep her calm, so he did the first thing that came to his mind, but knew he would probably regret it. He hesitantly picked up his hand and laid it on Tohru's gently, trying not to blush too much. Tohru slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Kyo and then to their hands, a blush creeping across her face. "I-If you get scared," Kyo whispered, swallowing after he spoke, "just squeeze my hand."

The two were silent for a moment, just staring at their hands. They weren't necessarily holding hands; Kyo's just laid on Tohru's. But the look Kyo saw in Tohru's eyes once they both picked up their heads and looked at each other reassured Kyo that he did the right thing. Sure, her face was crimson red, but her eyes showed happiness and relaxation. "T-thank you Kyo-kun," she said softly.

The plane now started to take up speed, for it was on the runway. Tohru gripped Kyo's hand tightly as the plane went faster and faster and her grip grew tighter when the plane started to lift from the ground. She chewed her gum quickly, her eyes squeezed shut. Kyo still had his eyes on her and came to the conclusion that if it wasn't for her seat belt, she would have flown out of her seat.

Once they were in the air and the plane was steady, Kyo expected Tohru to let go of his hand, but she didn't. Instead she sighed and opened her eyes, beginning to giggle. "That was actually fun, Kyo-kun! I've never been through something like that before!"

"Well, there was no reason to be scared like you were. I thought you were gonna piss in your pants or something." He nervously scratched the back of his head with his free head, figuring that if he drew his hand from Tohru's, she would think she did something wrong.

So here Kyo was, sitting on the plane next to Tohru while holding her hand. What would Kazuma or Kyoko think if they passed them while heading toward the bathroom? They would get the wrong idea and never let the two be around each other anymore. Kyo honestly treasured Tohru's friendship, for she was his only friend. He may not have showed it, but he knew it. He just had a hard time admitting it to himself.

"Kyo-kun?"

Tohru's delicate voice swept Kyo away from his thoughts. He shook his head and turned to Tohru, unaware that his face was now a light shade of pink. "What?" he asked, keeping his voice from cracking. He didn't want to speak to Tohru so harshly, but he couldn't talk to her regularly without his voice sounding weird. Tohru then continued, "Kyo-kun, may I ask about your mother?" Kyo didn't expect that question coming. "Oh, um, she was killed … in an accident," Kyo replied flatly, turning away from Tohru. He could hear her quietly gasp in surprise. "I-I'm sorry, Kyo-kun," she apologized. "If I had known I wouldn't have asked …"

"Don't worry about it. But just so you know, Shishou isn't my biological father."

And yet, another gasp from Tohru, only this one was louder.

"Yeah, I know," Kyo said, nodding. "I haven't seen him in years. My mom and dad were, erm, divorced, and Shishou took me in because he was a close neighbor of ours." Kyo hated lying to Tohru, but it was the only way she wouldn't drown him in sympathy for what had really happened. The two were silent and motionless for a few moments before Tohru gave Kyo's hand a squeeze, which caused him to turn and face her. Her expression was tender and sweet, and her eyes were filled with comfort and affection. "I'm so sorry, Kyo-kun," she said, her voice a hoarse whisper.

The rest of the plane ride consisted of small talk and sleeping. Kyo actually hadn't slept, but Tohru fell asleep with her head against the window. Her face was soft and she had an angelic look when she slept, as if her whole body glowed. Kyo found himself staring at her the whole time she slept, still holding her hand, his stomach filled with the constant fluttering of butterflies.

The flight took four hours and twenty-five minutes. Tohru had slept three of those hours while Kyo watched her, never taking his eyes off of her sleeping form unless the flight attendant asked him for any refreshments. Why couldn't he tear his eyes off of her? It was a mystery. But when Tohru woke up, the plane began to descend. One of the pilot's voices echoed throughout the plane.

"Bienvenue à Paris!"

* * *

I kept my promise in making this chapter longer! It's not that much longer (around five hundred words more), but it _is_ longer! I'll probably be making it up to you all in the next chapter when the group is in Paris! I thought it would be nice to give them all a vacation. Okay, thank you so much for your reviews, and thank you for taking time out of your day to read this story. I'll see you all soon!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	6. Paris: the City of Love

Hi everyone! The sixth chapter of Unexpected is here! I'm glad everyone liked the last chapter. Thank you so much for reading a reviewing! This chapter is the first of two chapters on the group's vacation. Yes, there's fluff, as I try to put in every chapter! I just don't like to rush things … but I feel like I am. And about the lyrics at the beginning of this chapter, I know they have absolutely nothing to do with Kyo and Tohru's feelings, but since Looking Back On Today by the Ataris is one of my favorite songs, and it mentions Paris, I couldn't help but add it in! -giggle- Please enjoy this chapter, and reviews are greatly appreciated, as I always say!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: Paris: the City of Love  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

I called you from Paris

-

To tell you that I

-

Wrote our names on the observation deck

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Of the Eiffel Tower

- _Looking Back On Today_ by the Ataris

Tohru, Kyo, Kyoko, and Kazuma walked down the cobblestone paths of downtown Paris. The streets were filled with French vendors selling paintings, fruits, vegetables, and books. The group was on their way to their hotel. They hadn't rented a car for two reasons: Kyoko thought it would be nice to walk places instead of drive, and she forgot to make arrangements to rent one. Kazuma and Tohru didn't mind, but Kyo said that they would tire themselves out too much. For example, Tohru, Kyoko, and Kazuma had all slept on the plane ride, yet Kyo didn't. The three were all tired and continuously yawned. Kyoko even tripped a few times.

The hotel wasn't that far away from the airport, only about three miles. It took the group twenty minutes to walk there, and Tohru gasped when she saw how grand it was. The hotel was large and luxurious with big double-sided doors at the entrance. Lining the sides of the hotel were tables and chairs with umbrellas, along with small little green trees. The group entered the building, Tohru's eyes wide as she looked at her surroundings. The lobby had marble floors and tan walls. The room was lit by an oversized chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and Tohru almost fell backwards looking at it. Kyoko seemed pleased that everyone was happy with the beautiful hotel she booked as she checked in and everyone received a key to their room. A man wearing a neatly pressed suit, while wheeling around a suitcase rack, offered to take their suitcases up to their rooms. While in the elevator on the way to their rooms, Kyoko couldn't help but rant on about how 'awesome' it was to stay in this type of hotel. When the elevator got to floor ten the group stepped out and walked down the hall, Kyoko and Tohru heading to room five hundred and forty-six while Kazuma and Kyo to five hundred and forty-eight, just next door.

When Kyoko opened the door to the hotel room she was staying in with her daughter, they both gasped as they saw the scenery before them: the room was large with two king-sized beds, a mini bar, a television, a door that led to a balcony, and a door that led to a bathroom. "Oh, wow!" Kyoko exclaimed as she charged into the room and jumped onto the nearest bed. She jumped happily, laughing and giggling like a young girl. "Eh, Mom!" Tohru said nervously, running toward the bed after quietly closing the door. "I don't think you should do that! W-What if something happens!"

"Aw, come on Tohru-chan! Jump with me! A little fun won't kill you, right?" Tohru wrung her hands together, looking at Kyoko jumping on the bed and then to the door, just in case the man who had their suitcases came. What if he came while they were jumping on the bed and reported them? They might get everyone thrown out of the hotel! "I-I don't think I should, Mom. I-I'll just sit here and wait for the suitcases to come!" She quickly sat in a chair that was next to a small table and watched her mother stand on the bed, staring at her with her hands on her hips. "Are you sure you don't want to, Tohru-chan? I'm giving you my permission," she laughed. Tohru still looked unsure as she looked at her mother and then the door. "What are you worried about?" Kyoko demanded. "No one can come in! We're the only ones who have the keys! All they can do is knock, and if someone does, we'll just jump off and pretend like nothing happened!" Tohru bit her lip. She didn't want to disappoint Kyoko, yet she didn't want to get them into trouble. Sighing, then smiling, she made her way over to the bed and heaved herself up and as she did, Kyoko started jumping happily again.

The mother and daughter jumped in circles and laughed on the bed together, holding hands. Tohru was aware of her skirt and hair flying askew, but she didn't mind. She only wanted to have fun and enjoy the moment with her mother, even though it was something she wouldn't have done with anyone else. She was on vacation, wasn't she? And her mother gave her permission, right? It didn't seem as bad as she thought it would be.

Meanwhile, in the next room, Kazuma and Kyo searched through their new home for the next fifteen nights. Kyo tried out his bed, making sure the mattress wasn't too soft, but wasn't too hard, either. Kazuma made sure there was a sports channel on the television so he could watch martial arts tournaments, even if they were in French, and they both looked for a closet where they would be able to hang up clothes. They spotted a door, headed for it, and put their hands on the doorknob at the same time, without realizing it at first. "Oh, are you looking for a closet too, Kyo?" Kazuma asked. Kyo shrugged and took his hand off of the doorknob. Kazuma then opened the door, expecting it to lead to a closet, but the only thing he and Kyo could do was stare at the site before them.

Kyoko and Tohru were jumping on one of the beds, laughing gaily and smiling. The pillows and bed sheets were askew (some even on the floor), the two girls' hair a mess, and they both breathed heavily, yet still jumped without a care in the world. Tohru's miniskirt flew and danced around her legs, which made Kyo blush as he looked away and scratched the back of his head nervously. Kazuma, trying not to laugh to himself, cleared his throat. Kyoko and Tohru both turned their heads in the direction of the noise, only to see Kazuma and Kyo standing in a doorway that they hadn't seen when they came in. The two girls collapsed on the bed, Kyoko shrieking as she did, and then the four all stared at each other during the following five minutes.

"Ah … I … um … that is …," Tohru stammered as she tried to catch her breath, which seemed impossible, for she was flushed, hot, sweaty, and beat red from embarrassment. Next to her, Kyoko broke out in an uncontrollable laughter that filled the room and bounced off the walls. Kazuma then joined her and the two adults laughed for the next few minutes. Tohru tried to avoid Kyo's gaze as she scrambled off the bed, for she felt her face would explode if she did, and began rearranging all of the pillows and smoothing out the bed sheets. There was then a knock at the door and Tohru hurried to open it. It was the man who brought their suitcases upstairs, and he greeted Tohru in French and wheeled in the suitcase rack. He didn't seem to notice the two hysterically laughing adults, for the man was sort of aloof and hurried out of the room once the suitcases were off the rack. Kyoko and Kazuma then regained themselves.

"Oh, that was fun," Kyoko said as she got off of the bed, still a little out of breath. "I haven't had that much fun in years. I felt like a teenager all over again."

"Yes, well you and Tohru-san caught Kyo and I a little of guard," Kazuma said, still chuckling a little bit. "Kyo, help me take our suitcases into our room. I guess there isn't a closet after all, or we just didn't look hard enough. Maybe afterwards we can take a trolley somewhere for fun, or even for lunch."

The next few days weren't as eventful as that first day the group had arrived in Paris, but they did have fun. They went to museums, ate at outdoor cafés, took strolls in parks, but didn't visit the Eiffel Tower yet. The Eiffel Tower wasn't walking distance from the hotel, even though Kyoko, Tohru, Kyo, and Kazuma could see it from their hotel rooms. They needed to take a trolley to visit the Tower, but they always missed it. Kyoko made sure she wrote down the times that the trolley left so they wouldn't miss it the next time they made an attempt to take it.

"When should we go to the Eiffel Tower?" Kyoko asked Kazuma while the group was sitting at a little table at an outdoor café for lunch. It was a friendly autumn afternoon, with air like spring and a sky like summer. It was the nicest day they've seen all season. Kazuma then looked at a nearby clock tower on the corner of the street. "What time does the next trolley leave?" he inquired Kyoko. Kyoko took a slip of paper out of her purse, the paper which had all of the trolley times. "The next one leaves at three thirty."

"We should be able to make it then," Kazuma said. "It's only two o'clock. I suggest we finish up quickly, pay the bill, and then get a trolley back to the hotel."

"How can you read that clock?" Kyo asked. "It's written weirdly."

"Those are Roman Numerals, Kyo," Kazuma replied. "I studied those when I was in school."

And so the group did that very thing Kazuma suggested. They made it back to the hotel in time and boarded the trolley that would take them to the Eiffel Tower. Tohru grew more excited each time the Eiffel Tower got bigger and bigger, for it meant that they were closer. "Kyo-kun!" Tohru exclaimed as she tugged at the sleeve of the boy who sat next to her. "Isn't the Eiffel Tower beautiful! It's so big! It's probably the biggest thing I've ever seen!" Kyo shrugged. "I don't know if I'd call it 'beautiful'," Kyo said. "Sure, it's big, but it's kind of gawky-looking."

"But doesn't it look wonderful? Imagine being at the top! I bet the view's amazing!"

"Yeah, well," Kyo started, looking for words that wouldn't insult Tohru. "We'll be at the top … soon, I guess."

"Yes, isn't that exciting!" Tohru seemed to bounce in her seat as she spoke, and Kyo felt his mouth twitch.

The group arrived at the Tower within a matter of minutes and bought tickets at the entrance. While Kyoko and Kazuma bought the tickets Tohru and Kyo sat on a nearby bench, for Kyoko and Kazuma had to wait on a line for thirty minutes. Tohru almost fell as she looked up at the Eiffel Tower, just as she had done in the lobby of the hotel. It was so big! As Tohru stumbled backward Kyo instantly stretched out his arm to support her, much to his quick reflexes. The situation both made them blush but they quickly went over to the said bench to wait for their parents. Thirty minutes later Kyoko was skipping over to them with four ticket stubs in her hand. "Woo hoo! Let's go!" As she, Tohru, Kyo, and Kazuma started for the elevator Kyo turned to Kazuma. "What took you two so long to get the tickets? Weren't you both first on line?"

"We had a hard time talking with the person in the ticket booth," Kazuma replied, smiling. "We forgot that people don't speak Japanese here!"

"Why didn't you think of going to a bookstore to buy a French dictionary? It woulda helped … a lot." Kazuma laughed as everyone got on the line. It looked like it would have been a while before they actually got to the top. They first had to take the elevator to the second floor and then another one to the top. "Well, I guess we forgot to put that on our 'To-Do' lists. Maybe we can get one when we get back to Japan."

"What good would that do!"

"Sheesh, Orange," Kyoko interrupted, bopping Kyo on the head. "You're giving us Japanese people a bad image! Keep quiet."

It took almost an hour and a half before Tohru, Kyo, Kyoko, and Kazuma were on the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower. They spent ten minutes in the souvenir shop and candy shop and Kyoko went on the Internet, just to read all of her favorite websites in French. She was amazed and excited at the fact that there was Internet access at the Tower. Kyo thought it was weird that someone would have the sudden urge to go on the Internet while at the Eiffel Tower, especially if they were on vacation. Who worries about going on the Internet when you're on vacation?

The top of the Tower had an indoor level and an outdoor level, but the group was more interested in the outdoor one. They had to climb a staircase before they got to it, but it was worth it. The view was amazing. Almost every part of Paris could be seen from the observation deck. All of the people walking on the streets looked like ants, and the view reminded Tohru of being on the plane again. She wasn't nervous though. The idea of the Tower being stationary eased her.

Tohru, Kyo, Kyoko, and Kazuma wandered about the deck for a half hour, Tohru with Kyo and Kyoko with Kazuma, just pointing out some of the spectacular views. Kyoko and Kazuma then went to the indoor level and told Tohru and Kyo they would be back for them in a half hour. Kyo and Tohru strolled about the deck side by side until they settled at the side that overlooked a river which sparkled in the sunlight. Kyo and Tohru draped their arms over the railing of the Tower.

"This is actually better than I thought it would be," Kyo spoke honestly. He was with Tohru now; and it was kind of hard not to speak his true feelings around her. "It's like a dream!" Tohru said. "Everything about this place is so beautiful! Oh, have you ever seen it lit up at night, Kyo-kun!—" before Kyo could remind her that they stood on the balconies of their hotel rooms every night with their parents, which offered a beautiful view of the Tower day and night, she went on, as if not expecting an answer, due to her excitement "—It's wonderful! Sometimes I can't describe in words how beautiful this city his." She sighed. "I guess that's why it's called the City of Love."

"Eh, it is?" Kyo asked awkwardly, a blush creeping across his face. Tohru's smile broadened as she nodded. "Yes! I never understood why though, but now I do! It's kind of hard not … to … fall … in … love … here … Nyaaa! I mean, it's hard to, um … that is …" What was she doing? Kyo would get the wrong idea! Quickly, Tohru tried to find words to replace what she had just said, but found herself stammering and blushing instead. She turned away from Kyo. The two were silent for a few moments, Tohru thinking of something to say while Kyo contemplated what had just been spoken. Why did she say _that_? Was she trying to tell him something? "I'm sorry, Kyo-kun," Tohru started. "I-I just spoke without thinking. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Kyo took a few minutes to let this sink in. He cautiously moved closer to Tohru until their shoulders touched. He hadn't even realized he did this, and he could feel is face growing hotter, acknowledging the fact that Tohru was suddenly very close to him. "I-it's okay," he said quietly. Tohru slowly turned to him, suddenly realizing how close they were. She found herself just simply nodding, completely at loss for words.

Kyo turned away, setting his gaze to the river. He then felt something softly lean against his shoulder, and when he hesitantly turned his head he saw that Tohru had rested her head on it. He blushed, his insides doing somersaults. His entire body stiffened, yet he didn't even try to move, not wanting to wreck the moment.

Kazuma and Kyoko were now heading for the observation deck, looking for their children. When they found them, Kyoko couldn't help but smile. "Leave them alone for a little bit," she told Kazuma. She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "They remind me too much of Katsuya and I when I was in high school." Kyoko smiled as memories of her husband flashed through her mind. "I'm guessing things didn't go so well with that woman you dated a few years ago?" Kazuma shook his head, smiling as well. "No, but it was for the best that we decided to part. She was a great woman, but she just wasn't for me." Kyoko punched Kazuma in the arm jokingly. "Don't worry, you'll find her some day!" she encouraged with a laugh.

As the two teenagers watched the view from the Eiffel Tower, different types of thoughts ran through Kyo's head. Okay, maybe Paris wasn't the City of Love for him … It was more like the City of _Crushes_.

* * *

Okay, so Kyo isn't in love with Tohru … not yet, anyway. But at least he admits he has a crush on her, which is pretty good considering he tries to battle with his feelings all of the time! And as for Tohru … Well, she doesn't know how she feels yet, right? Everything will unravel soon! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please look forward to part two of this chapter! And I've never been to the Eiffel Tower before, let along Paris and France. I actually went on the official Eiffel Tower website and looked at all of the things you can do there. As for the hotel, it's actually real -giggle- I went to a website that displays hotels in Paris, and I picked out one of the four-star ones. I made up the lobby, but I tried to describe the outside and bedrooms as much as possible! Until the next chapter, please enjoy the final days of summer (even though I'll probably update in less than a week)!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	7. Dream Symbols

Hey everyone! It's the seventh chapter! I have to say I'm a little surprised that chapter six only got two reviews, but that's okay. Hopefully this one'll make up for it! I got to use one of my books in this chapter called _The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Dream Symbols_, and I even got to use some French! Although I'm not sure if some of it's right, it was still fun to use. I'm sure my French teacher will be happy to hear that I used French in a story that I wrote, even though I'll never see her again -**giggle**- Anyway, I actually enjoyed writing this chapter … and I hope you'll all enjoy reading it!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: Dream Symbols  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter. In this chapter's case, I do own Jacque, but I don't own _The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Dream Symbols_ by Klaus Vollmar.

* * *

I really hope you'll always be

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So in love with me

-

I really hope we'll always stay

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So attached this way

- _I Really Hope_ by the Cranberries

It was now the morning of December fifth, meaning five more days in Paris. Tohru sat up in her bed, skimming through her mother's dream symbols book. It was a small book that explained how the little things in your dreams could mean a lot. Tohru had quite a strange dream, which was why she was up at three-thirty in the morning reading the book. Her dream was anything but scary, but thinking about it made her face redden up and grow hot. She thought that maybe this book could tell her what it all exactly meant.

She had been sitting in a garden on a white cement bench, surrounded by different types of flowers. Before the bench was a little walkway that led to a path which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. The path wasn't on the side of a road, nor was it in a forest. It was simply surrounded by fields of never ending green grass. The path was long and seemed to be never ending as well. Tohru didn't know why she was in the garden or what she was doing, but she did know that the flowers that were around her were extremely beautiful, and she didn't seem to notice the person coming up the path as she admired them. It wasn't until she looked up that she saw Kyo standing at the beginning of the walkway, smiling at her. Tohru's insides warmed up, and she flashed him one of her happiest smiles. Kyo started up the walkway, still smiling, and sat next to Tohru on the bench. He looked at her with soft eyes and an expression she had never seen him give her before. Slowly, he tenderly lifted up his hands and cupped her face, his eyes reflecting the light of the sun that shone over them so brightly. His face drew nearer as Tohru tried to find something to say, surprised by his sudden actions. Before she could say anything, and as if everything flashed before her eyes, Kyo pressed his lips softly against hers. Tohru stiffened for a minute, but grew more relaxed as she laid her hands on Kyo's shoulders as the kiss grew more passionate. Despite the deepness of the kiss, Kyo was still gentle with Tohru, which made her enjoy the kiss more. Kyo then pulled away gently, staring into Tohru's eyes. Tohru looked back lovingly, never wanting the moment to end. Kyo then opened his mouth to say something. His lips moved, but Tohru couldn't hear anything he said. She looked puzzled and shook her head, asking Kyo to repeat what he said, but found that no words had come out of her mouth either. What had he said to her? Going into a panic with the thought that she might be deaf, Tohru took her hands off of Kyo's shoulders and stood up. Kyo stood up as well, this time taking her hands in his. His expression turned from happy to hurt, and his lips still moved, but nothing came out. What had he said to her that she couldn't understand? As tears began to fill Tohru's eyes, everything went black. The next time she opened her eyes she was facing the white ceiling of hers and Kyoko's hotel room.

What had been the key symbols in the dream? There was the garden, the flowers, the field, the path, the sun, Kyo, and the kiss … Yet how could she explain what had happened with their voices in words? Silence, maybe? Tohru looked through the book, which everything was in alphabetical order, for 'garden'. She then found it and read aloud (but in a whisper) to herself what it said:

"'**Garden**: See **Field**. The garden is the place where our soul joins nature. It symbolizes longing, fertility, and a satisfying love life. A place of harmony and relaxation (as well as sin, as in the "Garden of Eden"), a place to become grounded and a place of civilized nature, corresponding to a "civilized" inner life. It is the domestic, fenced-in area in contrast to the untamed **Field**, or even **Forest**. Stepping into a garden is like retreating from the harshness of the outside world, looking for protection and relaxation. In Egypt the garden has always been the symbol for woman.

"'According to Freud, female sexuality.'"

Tohru blushed as she re-read the paragraph. A satisfying love life? Longing? What did that all mean? Biting her lip, Tohru then skimmed the book for 'flowers'. She found it and quietly read it to herself:

"'**Flower**: Traditional symbol for emotions ("Say it with flowers"). Beauty and fertility. Growing and fading away, like life. Expectations of and hope for love and relationships. Important is the type and the color of the flower. Red roses point to sexual love, white roses and other flowers point to innocence, blue flowers to the strength and soul of emotions. Snowdrops point to overcoming the cold of winter, asters to autumn and death. Picking flowers is considered a symbol of sexual experience.

"'In the Middle Ages, flowers with broken stems mean sexual intercourse. In India, in dream interpretations, the flower is the symbol of the highest pleasure. In Freud's dream interpretations, the flower is dealt with extensively and symbolizes women, tenderness, female genitals and genitals in general, as in **Blossoms** (see Anaïs Nin's _The Delta of Venus_).

"'According to C. G. Jung, flowers represent emotions/feelings.'"

Tohru thought of the color flowers that were in her dream, blushing when she realized that some of the flowers were red, white, and blue, even some of them roses. She had a feeling to what this was all coming to, but didn't want to jump to conclusions. Tohru then looked through the book for 'field', found it, and then read:

"'**Field (area)**: Symbol for women—your field of work/profession. (This patriarchal interpretation, which often does not correspond to the dreamer's conviction, is nevertheless appropriate, because out internal attitudes do not change at the same rate as our ideology. Our conscious awareness is much more eager to change than our subconscious).

"'Fallow or ravaged field: stagnation, grief, and troubles. Green field: work and good compensation, growth. Overgrown field: disorder in the inner as well as the outer world.'"

Well, the field was green, which meant the growth of something. But of what? Baffled, she turned the pages of the book in search of 'path'. When she found it, she read what it said:

"'**Path**: As in **Street**; a frequent symbol of a life's path. See **Wagon**. Your personal path is laid out for you. You are walking down your own life's path. Or, difficulty on the path.'"

Tohru thought about this, but it didn't make any sense at all. She hadn't been the one walking on the path, Kyo was. She had only been looking at it. Still puzzled, she now looked through the book for 'sun'. She found it and read:

"'**Sun**: See **Summer**. Creative energy. If the sun is shining in your dream, it always refers to the consciousness. If the sun does not shine, you are either approaching the unconscious loss of energy. The sun is also a symbol of the father, midlife, the danger of being dazzled.'"

Dazzled? Tohru already was dazzled as to what it all meant. There was still one more symbol she had to look up, and that was 'kiss'. She slowly turned the pages of the book until she found it and read the paragraph:

"'**Kiss**: Uniting, connecting, and good luck. Intimate closeness, intellectual communication, desire for closer contact, maybe making up after a fight. Rarely is a kiss a sign of betrayal (the kiss of Judas).'"

Tohru closed the book and gently placed it on the small table next to her bed before she lay down and drew the covers over her. She folded her hands over her stomach and stared at the ceiling, putting everything together. Everything mostly had to do with emotions … and _love_. Were her feelings towards Kyo more than just friendly? Had her feelings grown for him over these two months she's known him? But it was all happening so fast … She hadn't even known him for a half a year, so how could she be feeling this way? Of course, she didn't mind these feelings. Kyo was a very special person to her, and she liked him a lot. But what about him? How did he feel about her? Surely he didn't feel the same way … How could someone like Kyo feel that way about a person like Tohru? It just didn't make any sense. All of this thinking had made Tohru tired, even though she was already sleepy because it was now four o'clock. She slowly drifted off to sleep with visions and thoughts of Kyo in her mind.

Later on that morning, around eight o'clock or so, Tohru stood before the mirror of her hotel room bathroom, brushing her hair. She thought about the dream she had earlier that morning and what the book had said the symbols meant. It couldn't be love … could it?

"Come on Tohru-chan," Kyoko said, knocking on the bathroom door. "Kazuma-chan and Orange are waiting in the hall. We're gonna go to one of the museums today! Let's go!"

"Okay Mom!" Tohru said happily as she finished tying a ribbon into her hair. She put her brush back in its place in the top right drawer of the bathroom counter and Kyoko handed Tohru her coat as they started out of the door and into the hall. Tohru immediately felt herself grow hot being near Kyo, especially in her winter coat. Being that it was December now, the Paris air had become chilly and the group had to wear their winter jackets when they went out. They still ate at outdoor cafés though.

"Which Museum are we going to today?" Kyoko asked Kazuma as everyone stepped into the elevator. Kazuma looked at the brochure he was holding and read the name that was printed on the cover. "Musée du Louvre," Kazuma said with difficulty, for he didn't know how to pronounce French words correctly. "I can't read what the brochure says but I thought it looked nice, so I picked it up at one of the other museums we went to a few days ago. From what I've heard, it's supposed to be the biggest museum in the world."

"And where'd you hear that from?" Kyo asked. "You can't speak French, so I doubt you heard about that here."

"No, you're right. I looked it up on the Internet when we were home. Everything was in Japanese. It's a very nice museum. I'm sure you two would enjoy it," Kazuma said, directing his last sentence at Kyo and Tohru. They were all now walking in the lobby, then out the door, and onto one of the waiting trolleys. A trolley left every morning at eight thirty, which was the trolley the group always took to the busy part of Paris every morning.

Musée du Louvre was indeed the biggest museum in the world. It was bigger than the hotel, and everything about it was wonderful. Tohru loved all of the old European paintings and sculptures that were on display, and Kyoko used almost a whole roll of film before they were halfway through the museum. Kyo thought that it was sickening that there were sculptures of nude people, and also woman without shirts. Kyoko could have sworn she saw Kyo blush when they were looking one of those types of sculptures, and she taunted him about it all throughout the rest of the day. As for Tohru, she immediately grew nervous when she saw the first sculpture, and took a few glances of the other ones, trying to avoid the exposed body parts. The rest of the group's time spent at the museum consisted of taking a tour around the building, looking at paintings and more sculptures, only these weren't as graphic and revealing as the previous ones they were looking at.

It was two o'clock when they left the museum, Kyoko in somewhat a bad mood because she ran out of film too quickly, and Kyo in a bad mood too because the museum bored him. Kazuma and Tohru discussed where it would be nice to have lunch. They decided on a small outdoor café just a few blocks away from the museum. When they arrived there was only one table available outside, and it only seated two people. Kazuma and Kyoko let Tohru and Kyo sit at that table, while the two adults ate inside. Tohru instantly felt her face grow hot at the thought of sitting at the table alone with Kyo, almost like a _date_. But she knew it wasn't a date, of course, but it almost seemed like one.

They were handed their menus as the waiter went over the specials in French. Kyo never liked eating out when they were in Paris because he thought the food was disgusting. Not only did he not know how to speak French, he couldn't even read the menu to see what was actually decent. He always just picked the lowest priced item and it always turned out to be something gross. Fortunately for Tohru, whatever she picked out always seemed to be something she ended up liking. "I hate eating at these French places," Kyo said as he scanned the menu. "I don't even know why I came on this trip."

"Are you not having a good time, Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked with concern, looking at him over her menu. "I-I'm sorry if I bored you this whole trip … I know I'm not that much of a fun person to be around, and we don't have a lot to talk about, b-but … I've been enjoying this trip, Kyo-kun. I've had a lot of fun with you."

Kyo wanted to hit himself. Why did he always say the wrong things to Tohru? Whatever came out of his mouth seemed so harsh and insensitive. He looked back at her over his own menu, seeing her expression filled with sadness and a little bit of hurt. Kyo looked back to his menu but instead of looking for what he wanted to eat, he thought of something to say to get out of this situation. When nothing came to his mind, he set down his menu and pushed his chair away from the table. "I'll be in the bathroom," he told Tohru as he pushed in his chair and headed into the restaurant.

_I must have said something to make him feel uncomfortable!_ Tohru thought to herself. Biting her lip, she put down her own menu and wrung her hands together in her lap. _Oh no! W-what if I offended him by thinking he wasn't enjoying this trip? Now he must really hate me!_

As Tohru's thoughts flooded with reasons why she must have made Kyo uncomfortable, she didn't realize that at the table across from hers and Kyo's, three French boys were smiling and whispering to each other, "Oh la la, elle est jolie!" as they all stared at her. Finally, one boy stood up and made his way to the table, bending down on one knee and gently taking one of Tohru's hands in his. Tohru turned to him and squeaked in shock as the boy pressed his mouth to the back of her hand gently. "Je m'appelle Jacque," he whispered to her. "Et toi?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Tohru stammered, drawing back her hand. "I-I don't s-speak your language!" The boy who called himself Jacque didn't seem to understand her either, but despite that he took her hand again. "Voulez-vous aller au cinéma avec moi?" Tohru shook her head, drawing back her hand once more. "I'm sorry! I don't speak your language!" she repeated in a pleading voice. Jacque then stood up, smiling. "Allons!" he said to Tohru in a delighted tone as he gently took her by the arm and lifted her off the chair, pulling her away from the table. "N-no, I-I … that is," Tohru stammered as she tried to retrieve back her arm.

At the same time this was happening Kyo was making his way out of the bathroom. He didn't even have to go, he just needed to wash his face and calm down for a minute. Kyoko and Kazuma waved to him as he passed their table and made his way back outside, only to see a strange boy pulling Tohru away from their table. "What the hell?" Kyo growled under his breath as he ran over to the table. "Hey!" he shouted before he reached Tohru and the boy. Tohru turned in the direction of his voice, her face in distress. "Kyo-kun?"

"Eh?" Jacque said as he let go of Tohru's arm. Kyo stomped over to Jacque and looked him square in the eye, his hands balled into fists. He pointed to himself with his thumb. "I'm with her, get lost!"

"Qui tu es?" Jacque questioned. Even though Kyo didn't know what he was saying, he knew Jacque was saying it with disgust. Without thinking, Kyo gently pushed Tohru away and struck Jacque in the face with his fist. Tohru shrieked behind him, but Kyo didn't care. No one had the right to treat her that way. Jacque stumbled, but didn't lose his balance, and his two friends ran over to him, shouting at both Jacque and Kyo. Jacque held his hand over his eye, his jaw clenched. He pushed away his friends, balled his fist and threw a punch, but Kyo blocked it easily. He smirked and pushed him away with a big thrust that almost sent Jacque to the ground, but he managed to keep his balance. Kyo then grabbed Tohru's hand and stomped away from the restaurant. Tohru looked both stunned and relieved, yet felt flattered at the same time.

"K-Kyo-kun? What happened?" Tohru asked. Her voice squeaked as Kyo still dragged her down the street until they turned a corner. He then let go of her hand and crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze never meeting hers. "Nothing," he said flatly. The two were silent for a few moments, listening as people walked by as they talked and laughed. Carriages passed and vendors wheeled their carts. Tohru tenderly placed a hand on Kyo's shoulder. "Thank you," she said softly. "I … I was really scared. I didn't know what to do, especially since I didn't understand what he was saying. But then you came and—"

"It was nothing."

Tohru smiled and walked closer to Kyo and took his hand in hers. Kyo didn't look up, but instead entwined their fingers as they walked up the side of the road. A gentle breeze blew, slightly pushing back Tohru's hair. In her mind, she knew the book of dream symbols was right. Being this close to Kyo made her heart skip beats and her insides go on fire. And when he had fought for her she … Well, she didn't know how to explain her feelings, but she knew that it had made her feel wonderful. The idea of Kyo punching someone, though, was a different story. Kyo then spoke, breaking Tohru away from her thoughts. "Hey."

"Yes, Kyo-kun?"

"Just so you know, I _am_ enjoying this trip … I just don't show it."

* * *

Aw, Kyo's so sweet. He can be such a softy sometimes! Anyway, Musée du Louvre is a real museum in France and it _is_ actually the biggest museum in the world, according to the website I was at. As for everyone who thinks Yuki should have a bigger part in this story, he'll have a much bigger part in my next story! -**giggle**- Yes, I have been planning my next story! And the story after that, too! So I won't be gone for a while! Thank you for reviewing, and thanks for reading! I'll see you all before next week!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	8. A Tragedy On Valentine's Day

Hey everyone! I'm back with the eighth chapter, sooner than I thought it would be! All of your suggestions in the reviews that I've received are great! But believe me, I have a lot of plans for this story. It's going to start getting a little more dramatic, so the category for this story is going to change to Romance/Drama. This chapter is sort of like the start of it all, as you can tell by the chapter title. I hope you all like this chapter, and please note that it will have a big significance for the direction this story goes in. Thank you for the reviews, and thank you so much for reading!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: A Tragedy On Valentine's Day  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

Wherever you go

-

You know I'll be there

-

If you go far

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You know I'll be there

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I'll go anywhere

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So I'll see you there

- _Poprocks and Coke_ by Green Day

The vacation to Paris had finally come to a close and everyone was home and back to their regular routines. Kyoko had taken her pictures on a digital camera, so Tohru was able to show Arisa and Saki pictures of the trip. She had already told them about Kyo, and they had said they would 'track down' Kyo if he ever did anything improper to her. Tohru, Kyoko, Kazuma, and Kyo still got together every Saturday and Wednesday night, but went to the movies on Saturdays and out to dinner on Wednesdays. New Year's had passed, and Tohru and Kyoko had spent the night at Kazuma's. Tohru and Kyo sat on the roof all night while their parents were inside watching television specials and drinking beer. January had passed without incident, nor any little moments where Tohru wouldn't hold back her feelings. Kyo had grown a little warmer towards her, but she still felt a little distant compared to the closeness she had with Arisa and Saki.

It was now February. Tohru was excited about Valentine's Day and brought chocolates for Kyoko, Kyo, Kazuma, Arisa, and Saki, all in which were packaged in generously big boxes with ribbons tied on them. "What are we going to be doing for Valentine's Day?" Tohru had asked Kyoko one morning when she was making breakfast and Kyoko was just roaming about the kitchen. "Kazuma-chan and Orange are coming, of course!" Kyoko said happily. "You know, you should invite Uo-chan and Hana-chan over, too! They haven't met Orange yet! All you do is talk about him, so they probably want to meet your new crush!" Tohru dropped a bowl of rice she was holding. "Oh, M-Mom!" she said nervously, her face now beat red. "I-I don't like Kyo-kun that way! I j-just … like him as a friend!"

"Whatever you say," Kyoko said in a sing-song voice as she stepped out of the kitchen, grinning. Tohru bent down to clean up the mess of rice, but did so in a hesitant matter due to thinking about what her mother said. _Have Mom and Shishou-san been suspicious? _she thought. _Oh no! What if I'm that obvious! Kyo-kun must be suspicious too! That's why he's been so distant from me lately! But … what do I do that makes everyone think that I like him that way?_ Scooping up the rice with a paper towel and then throwing it away, Tohru realized that it must be the stammering and blushing that she constantly did around Kyo. And the smiling, too. _But I can't help those things,_ Tohru thought again. _And I can't help smiling either, because Kyo-kun makes me happy! I'm sure he must feel uncomfortable though, and that's the last thing I want him to feel when he's around me. What should I do?_

Tohru never did find a resolution to her problem, for she found the remaining days before Valentine's Day flying by. On the morning of Valentine's Day, though, Kyoko announced to Tohru that there would be certain changes in their arrangements for that evening. "Tohru-chan," she said to Tohru that morning as she opened the door to Tohru's room. "Tohru-chan!" Tohru clearly hadn't heard her, for she was still sleeping, so instead Kyoko scribbled a note on a pad with a pen that was sitting on Tohru's night table. She placed the two items back in their original spots and kissed her daughter on the cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day," she whispered to her as she walked out the door.

When Tohru woke up to sunshine spilling into her room through the material of her curtains, she rubbed her eyes sleepily and sat up, yawning. She looked around her room, spotting a note written on the pad on her night table. She picked it up and held it in front of her, rubbing her eyes once more since her vision was a little blurry. She then read the note aloud to herself:

"'Tohru-chan … I just received a call late last night from my boss telling me that I have to work late tonight and come in early. I know, it stinks!—'" Tohru giggled "'—So, I called Kazuma-chan and asked him if we could have our get together over at his house. I also asked him if you could go straight to his house after school (by the way, he said you could). So, I guess you can bring your cake to school and put it in the kitchen, or even drop it off at Kazuma-chan's on the way to school .Whatever's best for you. Oh, and tell Uo-chan and Hana-chan about the arrangements. I guess you can give them directions to Kazuma-chan's. Don't miss me too much tonight! I'll be at Kazuma-chan's at around six-thirty, maybe even a little later. I love you lots! And happy V-Day! … Mom.'"

Smiling to herself, Tohru placed the pad back on her night table and got out of bed. She got dressed, did her hair and then headed downstairs to make some breakfast for herself. "I hope Mom had breakfast!" she said. "I'd be so upset to know that she went to work on an empty stomach!" After preparing and eating breakfast, Tohru took her cake out of the refrigerator and got ready to go to school. She decided on letting the cake sit in the school refrigerator because she didn't want to burden Kazuma and Kyo for knocking on their door so early in the morning. Once she got to school, Tohru met up with Arisa and Saki and explained the situation to them. She gave them directions to Kazuma's house, and in return received her Valentine's Day presents from the two girls. From Arisa she received a teddy bear with a box of chocolates tied to its hands. Saki had given her a box of dark chocolates wrapped in a black box with dark purple ribbon. "Oh, thank you!" Tohru squeaked when they had given them to her. "I'm sorry that I don't have your Valentine's presents! I completely forgot about them this morning because I had to worry about the cake and everything and I—"

"Sheesh, Tohru! You can give them to us tonight!" Arisa said, laughing. "Don't worry about it. And your welcome, by the way."

"Yes, your welcome, Tohru-kun," Saki added.

The day ended up going by fairly quick. Tohru walked to Kazuma's with Arisa and Saki, just to show them where his house was, and then they both went home. They told Tohru they would be there at five o'clock, which was in an hour and a half. Tohru walked up the path to Kazuma and Kyo's home and knocked on the door. Kyo opened it and Tohru greeted him. "Happy Valentine's Day, Kyo-kun! How was your day? I'm sure we're going to have a great night tonight!" Kyo opened the door wider and let her inside, not saying a word. Tohru felt a bit of self-consciousness, for she thought he didn't greet her because of the way she's been acting around him. But when Tohru walked into the sitting room to set down her bag, the grim face she saw on the man who was sitting before the coffee table told her that something bad had happened.

"Shishou-san," Tohru started as she set down her messenger bag and gifts from Arisa and Saki. She knelt down beside the man. "What happened? Is everything okay?" Tohru hadn't noticed Kyo leaning his back against the doorframe of the opened paper sliding door, his head down and his hands in his pockets. Kazuma took a while to pick up his head and look at Tohru, but when he did, her insides turned. Kazuma placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Tohru-san," he said softly. He put his head down and completed his sentence in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "But … your mother passed away in a car accident."

Kyo felt his muscles tense up. He quietly left the room. He didn't want to see Tohru's reaction, for he knew it would be too upsetting to watch.

Tohru literally felt her jaw fall. Her throat became unbearably dry, her insides grew cold, and her vision became blurry. She began to tremble as she lifted a clammy, pale hand to her mouth. She couldn't even speak. Had she heard Kazuma correctly? It couldn't be true. No, Kyoko _couldn't_ be … that unthinkable word. Tears began to leak from Tohru's eyes. She had no idea what to do. She couldn't move, so getting up wasn't an option. She couldn't even speak, so she couldn't say anything to Kazuma. But when Tohru blinked her tears away, she saw that Kazuma had taken his hand off her shoulder and stood up. He slowly walked out of the room, leaving Tohru by herself. But to Tohru, she couldn't help but be grateful that he had left. She didn't want to look weak crying in front of Kazuma.

Hunching over, Tohru let everything out. Her hands pinned to the ground, holding her body up, she sobbed uncontrollably. Her mother was dead. Her idol. Her best friend.

_Mom …_

"_Tohru-chaaaaaaan!"_

" … _You work yourself too hard, Tohru. You need a little break. … You'll have a lot of fun!"_

"_You shouldn't make scenes like that in public, Orange."_

"_Aw, come on Tohru-chan! Jump with me! A little fun won't kill you, right?"_

_Mom … !_

"Mom …" Tohru whispered, her voice breaking. She cried continuously until she felt a hand gently place itself on her shoulder. Tohru found herself turning around, becoming face-to-face with Kyo. Kyo's face was pale and he looked like he was trying to share Tohru's pain with her. He gently wrapped his arms around Tohru's now-fragile, trembling body, holding her close to him. Tohru began to melt into the comfort of being in Kyo's arms, and she buried her face in his shoulder, her face now growing unbelievably hot. She slowly wrapped her own arms around him, and then the sobbing returned. She cried into his shirt and then more she cried, the more Kyo held her tighter. It was almost like a dream.

"Tohru," he whispered into her hair. "It's okay … Please, don't cry."

"Kyo-kun!" Tohru cried into his shirt. "Kyo-kun, what am I going to do! I … I have no home now! Mom … she can't be gone! And I didn't even get to see her today! She had to leave early this morning and left me a note … I didn't even get to see her!" Kyo unconsciously began to stroke her silky hair, his heart breaking at her words. He wanted to do everything he could do to get her out of this state. "It'll be okay. Just … don't cry like this, please," he whispered again. Tohru then picked up her face, her eyes swollen from crying, her face stained with tears. Right then and there, Kyo realized how precious Tohru actually was to him. Seeing her in this distressed state crushed his heart, and it seemed that holding her was the most logical thing to do. How come it took him so long to finally realize this?

Gently, Kyo placed a hand on Tohru's face. He wiped away her tears and then began stroking her face, staring into her eyes. "You're … too beautiful to cry," he told her with complete honesty. He felt his face grow hot, but at that moment he didn't care. He didn't care that his head was telling him it was wrong to do that to her, being that she was his father's best friend's daughter, but his heart told him that he was doing the right thing. Meanwhile, Tohru stared at Kyo, the words sinking in. He said she was _beautiful_? Was that possible? No … he must have been saying that to make her feel better. Despite Tohru's thoughts, she laid her head on Kyo's shoulder, tears still falling from her eyes, but her sobs weren't as loud.

Kyo and Tohru stayed like that together for the next half hour. Kyo tenderly stroked her hair, Tohru occasionally cried into his shoulder. Arisa and Saki arrived at Kazuma's on schedule and took the news better than Tohru thought. Arisa had kicked the wall and went into a small session of pulling her hair and crying while Saki just bowed down her head the whole time, yet Tohru could see the tears shining in her eyes. Tohru had also forgotten to bring over the chocolates for everyone, which had made her more upset, but everyone said that it didn't matter. Arisa and Saki were then introduced to Kyo and Kazuma, but it just didn't seem like a proper meeting without Kyoko. In fact, the whole remainder of the evening didn't seem right without her. When it was six-thirty, Tohru imagined that Kyoko would be walking through the door, cheerful and happy, but she never came. This nightmare wasn't a dream … it was actually reality, and it took Tohru until then to realize it.

Arisa and Saki had left at ten o'clock. The two girls both sat alone with Tohru in the sitting room from eight o'clock on, comforting her and reminiscing about old times with Kyoko. While they were all in this sitting room, Kyo and Kazuma were still in the kitchen cleaning up. Tohru had insisted on doing so, but Kazuma told her to spend time with her girlfriends. Normally Kyo wouldn't offer to help, but in this situation he decided it would be best if he did. Besides, he needed to talk to Kazuma about something.

As Kyo and Kazuma washed, rinsed, and dried the dishes, Kyo thought of a way to ask Kazuma his question. He didn't want to blurt it out, but he didn't want it to come out slowly. "Did you love her?" he finally asked. It wasn't the way he wanted to question Kazuma, but it seemed good enough. From the corner of Kyo's eye he could see Kazuma grin a bit. "You mean, Kyoko-chan?—" Kyo nodded "—Well, in a way, I actually did," Kazuma confessed. "It was always like that when we were teenagers. I never told her how I felt. But once she got married, I knew it was too late. And I moved away from Tokyo before she had Tohru-san, only because I couldn't take it. But on that day in September when I found out that Tohru-san was Kyoko-chan's daughter, I knew it was fate. When she told me that her husband had died, I kind of hoped that she was looking to re-marry, but the way she talked about him so much, I knew I couldn't force myself on her. So I never told her. But now … I wish I did." Kazuma closed his eyes and sighed deeply, refusing to let himself cry in front of his son.

Kyo was a little shocked. His father had loved Kyoko? Since when? He never noticed … he seemed to have done a pretty good job not giving out any hints, but Kyo guessed that maybe that was just how adults were.

And maybe, just maybe, that was a sign.

* * *

Please don't hate me! I couldn't bare it if you all hated me for doing that to Kyoko. I'm really sorry though -cries- But let me assure you, there's a reason it happened. I understand if you're all mad at me, but the story will get better! I absolutely promise! And I start school in a week … Wow, summer vacation went by so fast! But I hope you all at least like the fluff in this chapter. At least it was fluffy, right? I'll see you all soon!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	9. Thoughts

Hey everyone! The ninth chapter is here! I'm glad everyone wasn't too mad about chapter eight. And I realized that when I posted it, it was really short! This one's a little longer. Also, at the end of this chapter I'll have translations of what the French boy said in chapter seven. I forgot to add them at the end of the last chapter, sorry about that! Thank you so much for reading, and thanks for all of the reviews! I was so happy about all of the ones I got for the last chapter! I'm sorry to say that this chapter doesn't have any fluff in it, but after every dramatic chapter always comes a boring one, right? Please enjoy!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: Thoughts  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

If chasing our dreams

-

Is just a distraction

-

I want to remember when

-

I know that I can't go back

- _New American Classic_ by Taking Back Sunday

Tohru woke up to find herself in a room she hadn't seen before. It was lined with shelves of books and there was a sliding door that led to a balcony. Tohru sat up, suddenly noticing that she was in a bed, and looked around the room. Her messenger bag and the Valentine's Day presents she had received from Arisa and Saki were on a chair by the bed, and Tohru then realized where she was and why.

Her mother had died.

She was still in her school uniform and slowly climbed out of the bed. She walked out of the bedroom, unaware of her messy hair, and walked downstairs and into the kitchen of Kazuma Sohma's house. Her eyes were red from crying, and she could still feel tears in her eyes as she began to prepare breakfast for Kazuma and Kyo. The least she could do was thank them for letting her spend the night and helping her out in this difficult time. But it was still so hard to believe! How could something like that happen to Kyoko? Of all people, she didn't deserve it. _No one _deserved that. A lump formed in Tohru's throat and she fiercely fought back the tears that were starting to form in her eyes.

"_You're … too beautiful to cry."_

Did Kyo really mean that?

Tohru had finished preparing breakfast, but just had to set it on the stove for a little bit. Sighing, she washed her hands and then made her way out of the kitchen. She opened the front door and sat down on the front step, resting her elbows on her knees and laying her chin in her cupped hands. She had woken up very early—five o'clock to be precise—and hadn't even realized that until she had set breakfast on the stove to warm up. The cool morning air pushed back her hair, causing Tohru to shiver under her thin school uniform.

Meanwhile, Kyo and Kazuma were now up and in the kitchen. Kazuma hadn't gotten any sleep all night, but merely tossed and turned in his bed. He did feel rather relieved that he told _someone_ about his feelings towards Kyoko, though ... Kyo was the first person he had ever spoken about it to. Of course, Kazuma was aware of the way Kyo possibly felt about Tohru. But he knew that Kyo wasn't too good with those sorts of things, so he never questioned him about it. He had also thought about where Tohru's living arrangements would be, and knew that he would have to take her in. Despite the situation regarding Kyo, Kazuma knew that the two teenagers were responsible and that everything would be strictly platonic between them while living under the same roof.

"She made breakfast," Kyo said dully as he stared at the stove where a pot with bubbling water sat. Kyo shuffled over to the appliance and picked up a spoon on the counter and began to stir the contents in the pot. Kazuma broke away from his thoughts and nodded, even though Kyo couldn't see him. Kazuma folded his arms over his chest and sighed, feeling a sudden emptiness in him. "Where's she gonna go?" Kyo suddenly inquired. Kazuma saw this discussion with Kyo coming. "Well, Kyo, Tohru-san will be living here with us. It's the least we could do for her after all she's been through yesterday."

"Mmm," Kyo responded. Kazuma then continued, "Today we'll go with her to her home and help her bring all of the things she needs. Also, I don't think Kyoko-chan—" Kazuma felt a knife run through his heart when he said her name "—left a will, so everything belongs to Tohru-san now. I suppose she'll have to see some lawyers. And also …" The next thing Kazuma was going to say could have killed him. "… There's … the ceremony we'll be attending at Kyoko-chan's grave." Kazuma could feel the tears forming in his eyes. "What about her family?" Kyo said. "What if they get involved in all this?"

"Well Kyo, they were her family after all, so I'm sure we'll be hearing from them soon."

"But do they know where she is? What if they make her live with them? I remember she said once that they live somewhere about an hour from here." Kazuma then realized that the 'she' Kyo was referring to was Tohru. Kazuma took a moment to contemplate this and then came to the decision that Tohru should notify her family about what happened. "I think she should call them," he told his son. "It wouldn't be fair if they suddenly found out a few months later that she passed away and they hadn't been told. It's best if Tohru-san gives them a call today."

"And what about everything else? The house, the furniture … She can't leave all of that stuff there if she's gonna be living here."

"That's for Tohru-san to decide, Kyo. It all belongs to her now." Kyo laid down the spoon on the counter and walked briskly out of the kitchen and back upstairs. Kazuma then heard the front door open and a few seconds later Tohru walked into the kitchen, startled to see Kazuma standing there, looking at the floor. "Oh, Shishou-san" Tohru exclaimed. "I didn't see you there! You're up early today!" Kazuma lifted up his head and managed to smile but it soon faded when he saw that her eyes were red and puffy. "I-I started breakfast!" Tohru continued. She tried to sound cheerful and optimistic, only to hide the fact that while she was outside sitting on the front stoop, she was crying. Kazuma nodded in response. "Yes, Kyo was just in here before and he stirred it a little bit for you."

"Oh, that was nice of him!" Tohru said as she hurried over to the pot and turned off the boiler. "I'll have to thank him when I see him! Did he go back upstairs?"

"Yes, I think he's in the bath."

"Okay then! I think breakfast is finally done, so I'll have it on the table in a few minutes!" Kazuma smiled and watched as Tohru took out some bowls from the cabinet and set them on the counter. She took out an oven mitt from a drawer and slipping it onto her hand so she could pick up the pot and with a spoon, pour breakfast into the three bowls set on the counter. _She's very strong, just like her mother_, Kazuma thought to himself. _Kyo's a very lucky person_.

Kyo eventually came back downstairs from his bath and the three sat down for breakfast. The only time Tohru had ever eaten breakfast there was the morning of New Year's Day after she and Kyoko had spent the night. It was rather strange without Kyoko there and Tohru felt her heart stiffen, but Kazuma and Kyo were like her second family, so she knew she would eventually get used to it. Since she didn't have another school uniform to change into, all Tohru had to do was bathe and do her hair in order to get ready for school.

Fortunately, no one at school had heard about what happened to Kyoko. Arisa and Saki were waiting outside of the school building for Tohru, and they both swept her into comforting hugs. They questioned her about where her new living arrangements would be, and both offered her places to stay, but Tohru had overheard Kazuma and Kyo's conversation in the kitchen that morning. Of course, she wasn't eavesdropping! She was walking back to the kitchen and had heard them both talking when she was about to walk in, and she didn't want to interrupt anything, so she stood by the door and waited. Once Kyo walked out of the kitchen, Tohru quickly went back outside so he couldn't see her. She felt terrible about it, but she didn't want to intrude on their conversation.

"Oh, thank you so much," Tohru said after Arisa and Saki offered her places to stay. "That's very kind of you both, but I think I might be staying with Shishou-san and Kyo-kun."

"That Kazuma's a nice guy," Arisa said, pushing back her hair. "Yes, he's very kind," Saki agreed. "Such pleasant … waves."

School went by quickly, and there were only a few moments where Tohru had to ask the teacher if she could go to the bathroom so she wouldn't cry in front of the class. On her walk home from school, Arisa and Saki joined her, even though walking to Kazuma's house was out of the way for them. They both offered to spend the afternoon with Tohru, but Tohru explained to them that she, Kazuma, and Kyo were going to her house to clean up a few things, but they were more than welcome to join them. "Sounds like a plan," Arisa said. "It should be pretty fun to go through all of your old things, you know … Memories."

"Yes, that would be fun!" Tohru agreed. She then hugged her two friends as a goodbye, and said that she would call them to let them know when she would be going over to her house.

Tohru knocked on the door of Kazuma's home and Kyo answered. "You know, you don't have to knock on the door," he said. "You could just open it and come in. It's not like you're a stranger or anything."

"Oh, um, thank you Kyo-kun! But wouldn't I be intruding? I—"

"Geez, just come inside!" Kyo opened the door wider so Tohru could enter the house. She stepped in and smiled at him, and Kyo could have sworn he smiled back. It was almost like he could feel his mouth turn, but from Tohru's expression he didn't think that it was likely that happened. Kazuma was in the kitchen waiting for Tohru, and smiled gently at her when she came in, Kyo walking behind her. "Ah, Tohru-san," Kazuma said. "How was school?"

"Oh, it was very good, thank you! How did you and Kyo-kun enjoy your day? Would you like me to make lunch?"

"No, that's alright, but thank you. And we both had a fairly good day. But there's something I'd like to talk to you about. Here, sit down." Kazuma pointed on the floor by the table. Tohru nodded and obediently sat before the table, Kazuma sitting across from her. "Tohru-san," he started. "The ceremony … It's going to be held tomorrow afternoon. And would you like to go by your house soon to take all of the things you need? Kyo and I are welcoming you to live here. We're more than happy to have you." Tohru simply nodded. Kazuma saw tears trickle down her face, and a smile began to form. "Thank you very much," she whispered. "It's very nice to know that you and Kyo-kun are here for me. You're both like … my second family." Kazuma smiled at Tohru's words, but Kyo seemed emotionless.

The next day was hard for Tohru. The day before she went to her house with Kazuma and Kyo and cleaned up a little bit. Arisa and Saki were there too, and the girls managed to laugh over a few things they found. Arisa and Saki were also at the ceremony at Kyoko's newly made tombstone. It was made of grey marble and the name 'Honda' was written neatly down the stone. Candles were lit and prayers were said. Very few people attended, including Tohru's grandfather. Her other family hadn't come, but since her grandfather had a big liking for Kyoko, he made sure he went. Kazuma spoke with him about Tohru's living arrangements, and he was happy to hear that someone was kind enough to welcome Tohru into their home. After the ceremony everyone went out to eat, but it wasn't an enjoyable dinner. Everyone was quiet, except for Arisa, who occasionally tried to make up a conversation to brighten everyone up a bit.

Later on, when Tohru's grandfather was picked up and Kazuma, Kyo, Tohru, Arisa, and Saki went back to Kazuma's house, Tohru sat with her friends in her new bedroom. They helped her rearrange everything and unpack, and now they were all sitting on Tohru's new bed. They talked about random things, but kept a box of tissues with them because every now and then Tohru would get teary-eyed.

"So, about that kid," Arisa said. "He's pretty strange … Really aloof and everything, you know? He acts like he doesn't want anything to do with anyone."

"Kyo-kun?" Tohru questioned. Arisa nodded in response. "Oh, Kyo-kun is very wonderful," Tohru said admiringly. "He's very fun to be with! We had a lot of fun in Paris, and he keeps me company all of the time! He's a great friend!"

"You sound as if you really like this guy," Arisa said. "Anything Hanajima and I should be worried about?"

"His waves are rather shaky, Tohru-kun … So many mixed thoughts coming from him. He seems rather … complicated."

"Oh, um," Tohru stammered. "I-I … Well, that is …"

"Tohru," Arisa said, placing a hand on Tohru's shoulder. "You know you can tell us anything. If you like that guy, you can tell us. It's not like we're gonna hunt him down and kill him."

"Yes, you can tell us anything," Saki repeated. Tohru sighed and held her pillow tightly to her chest.

"_You know, you really suck. At martial arts, I mean."_

"_I-If you get scared, just squeeze my hand."_

"_Just so you know, I _am_ enjoying this trip … I just don't show it."_

"_You're … too beautiful to cry."_

_Kyo-kun … How do I really feel about you?_

"I-I … I really like Kyo-kun," she admitted. "He makes me very happy. Sometimes he makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world, and he can be very sweet. I think I—"

Before Tohru could finish, Arisa swept her into a warm embrace. "I'm happy for you Tohru," she said. "Oh gosh, just don't let him take advantage of you! Guys can be real jerks sometimes! If he _does_ do anything, you better tell Hana and I and we'll beat the shit outta him!" Tohru laughed and returned her friend's embrace. "Don't worry, Kyo-kun isn't like that … But I don't think he even feels the same way about me." Arisa let go of Tohru and stared at her. "What? Why wouldn't he?"

"Well, I-I just don't think he'd like me that way. Sometimes I feel as if he doesn't even like me as a—" Tohru thought back to last night and shook her head "—I don't really know."

"That jerk!" Arisa spat. "Why the hell _wouldn't_ he like you? You're … You're perfect girlfriend material!" She got up and stomped over to the door. "I'm going to 'talk' some sense into him."

"U-Uo-chan!"

"That won't be necessary," Saki finally said. "Please, sit, Arisa." Arisa closed the door after a few seconds and then sat on the floor next to Saki, crossing her arms. "Tohru-kun," Saki continued. "This boy has strange waves, but they're good ones. They seem shaky and mixed up, but when he's around you they seem perfectly calm, but a little nervous. I would give it a try. It could be a possibility that he does feel the same way about you. Why wouldn't he? You're very kind, and you're very beautiful." She smiled softly at her friend, who was now tearing up. Arisa and Saki were such kind, wonderful friends. "I love you both so much," she said to them. "You both make me feel wonderful!" The three girls then hugged each other tightly. "No obstacle can come in the way of _our_ friendship," Arisa whispered.

* * *

I've always admired Tohru, Arisa, and Saki's friendship! Anyway, here's what the French boy (Jacque) was saying in chapter seven (the translations are in the order her said them): "Oh la la, she is pretty!", "I call myself Jacque … and you?", "Would you like to go to the movies with me?", "Let's go!", and "Who are you?". And I start school high school this Wednesday … I'm so excited! I've had the best summer of my life though (I honestly don't know how I fit in writing fan fiction! I've been so busy!), so I don't really want it to end. I think I'll update on Tuesday, but if I don't, don't worry! School won't stop me from writing fan fiction, partially because I do all of my homework and studying and everything right after school and I save the computer for nighttime. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer vacations if you didn't start school already, and if you did, I hope you had a great summer! See you all soon!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	10. A New Beginning

Ah, the tenth chapter is here! I'm sorry if I took too long … I was just a little pre-occupied with school and everything. But I really like high school! It's just like middle school, kind of. Well, I'll let you all know it advanced that you're going to like this chapter! And thank you for reading and reviewing the previous one. Enjoy!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: A New Beginning  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

Out of the doubt that fills my mind

-

I somehow find

-

You and I collide

- _Collide_ by Howie Day

The warm spring air filled the house where Kazuma Sohma, Kyo Sohma, and Tohru Honda lived. Tohru was on the porch, hanging up laundry to dry, and left the door open so she could easily walk in and out to retrieve the damp clothes from the dryer. The laundry basket had broke one day, and Tohru never got around to getting a new one. So here she was, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in May, hanging up the clothes. Little did she know, she had a small audience. Kyo stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest and a towel thrown over his shoulder. He smiled to himself as he watched Tohru struggle with hanging up a large sheet. He didn't know when these new feelings that he had for her started, but lately he couldn't help but think that every little thing she did was cute. "Tohru," he said. He had recently just begun addressing her by her name, and he found himself being more friendly and warm towards her. He couldn't help it. It was just her nature that made him want to open up and be himself around her.

Tohru jumped from shock and squeaked. She turned around quickly, her hair flowing in the spring breeze. She smiled when she saw Kyo standing in the doorway, and her shoulders broadened up a bit. "Oh, good morning Kyo-kun!"

"It's passed twelve," Kyo corrected. "I've been up since six, but I was outside for about four hours, then I took a bath. What the hell are you doing?" Tohru turned back to the sheet, then back to Kyo. "I'm just hanging up the laundry!" she said. "This sheet is really big though, and with the breeze it's a little hard to hang up. But I can do it! I've done it plenty of times before!" Kyo walked onto the patio and towards Tohru and as he became closer to her, his body grew hot. He grabbed one side of the sheet while Tohru had the other gripped in her small hand, and he lifted it up so that it reached the clothesline. Tohru did the same, and clipped it to the line with a clothespin. Kyo held out his hand and Tohru passed him the other clothespin she was holding, and Kyo repeated what she did by pinning the sheet to the line. "Thank you, Kyo-kun!" Tohru said happily. Kyo walked over to the edge of the patio and sat down, letting his legs hang over the edge. "Where's Shishou?" he asked. "I haven't seen him all morning … Is he sleeping?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you!" Tohru said. "He went out for a little bit! He said he and Kunimitsu-san had a few errands to run with their classes, so he won't be home until dinnertime."

"Why didn't he tell me, or even ask me to come?"

"He thought you were sleeping, and he told me to tell you when you woke up … I'm sorry Kyo-kun, I should have told you sooner." Kyo took the towel off of his shoulder and began wiping the perspiration off his face. Even though there was a breeze that afternoon, Kyo was hot from exercising all morning. "Don't apologize for everything," Kyo said. "Haven't I told you before that it's stupid?"

"Oh, yes, I forgot! I'm sorry Kyo-kun!" Tohru the clapped a hand over her mouth and began laughing. Kyo rolled his eyes and stood up, lightly bopping her in the head before he started for the door. "What's for lunch?" he inquired before he stepped inside. "Oh, um, I haven't though about that yet …" Tohru said. "Okay then," Kyo said. He walked inside the house and closed the door. Tohru stood there on the patio, holding one of her dresses in her hand, and stared at the door. Kyo then slid it open and stared at the floor. "Hey," he said. A light tint of red color was now spread across his face. "You … You wanna go somewhere? Like, out? For lunch or something?" he asked her. His voice was nervous and shaky, and fortunately for him, Tohru didn't realize he was asking her out on a date. "Oh, that'd be fun, Kyo-kun!" she said. "But, I don't have any money on me …"

"Who said you needed money? I'll pay for it … M-My treat."

"Oh, no! Kyo-kun, I couldn't! That would be too much for you! I'm sure you're probably saving your money for something else! I could just make lunch for us and—"

"Shit, you're stubborn," Kyo said. He couldn't help but stifle back a little laughter at Tohru's expression. "Just come on," Kyo continued. "It's no big deal. We'll go after you finish hanging everything up." He walked back inside without waiting for a response from Tohru, slid the door shut, and leaned against it. He inhaled sharply, relieved that he finally got that off his chest. He had wanted to ask Tohru to do something for about a month now, and he was glad he didn't let this opportunity slip away like he had others.

Tohru was ready in a half hour, and she and Kyo left the house after making sure everything was locked and nothing was left on that could possibly burn the house down. It felt different to Kyo, walking alone with Tohru. But this different, new feeling felt good. Yet, it was the silence that made him uneasy. Kyo and Tohru hadn't said a word to each other since they left the house, and Kyo could already sense that this—he didn't know what to call it—'date' wasn't going to turn out so well.

When they came to the main road, where all of the stores and restaurants were, Kyo finally found an excuse to speak. "So, um, where do you wanna go?" Tohru looked up at him, and it seemed that she was clearly lost in her own thoughts that whole walk. "Oh, anywhere is fine, Kyo-kun!" she replied. "I think that place over there looks nice!" Tohru pointed to a little diner on the corner of the street and Kyo shrugged. Obviously she was going to pick an inexpensive place. "Okay," he said, taking her hand as they started down the block. "Let's go," he said.

The diner ended up being worse than Kyo thought it would be. When he and Tohru both walked in, they bumped into a large man who appeared to be drunk. The diner was filled with smoke and the two teens began to cough. Kyo brought Tohru closer to him, blushing at how close they were right now, but he didn't want anyone to hear what he was saying. He whispered, "I don't think we should—"

"How many, kids?" a waitress said. Her voice was raspy and her hair was greasy, but Tohru didn't seem to mind. "Two please!" she said happily. Kyo stuffed his hands into his pockets as he and Tohru walked around the restaurant, following the waitress to their table. The table that she led them to was a booth, and the seats were torn. The table itself was cracked and stained and Kyo looked around to see if any of the other tables were better, but the one they were at seemed to be the neatest in the whole diner. Tohru slid into the booth, and smile painted onto her face, and Kyo slipped in across from her. The waitress handed them their menus and then took out a pad and pen. "Drinks?" she asked impatiently. Tohru and Kyo both ordered water, the only thing that would probably be decent around there, and then the waitress left after she jotted it down onto her pad. Kyo looked around nervously, avoiding Tohru's gaze. He was too embarrassed to even look at her.

"Kyo-kun, is something wrong?" Tohru asked. Kyo looked up from the table. Her face was filled with concern, and she didn't even seem to mind the smoke that was mingling around their table. Kyo leaned over the table, trying not to inhale too much of the smoke. "Tohru, this place is disgusting. Are you sure you want to eat here?"

"Sure, Kyo-kun! But I'm sorry you don't like it here … I didn't mean to pick out a bad place to eat. If you want to go somewhere else, I don't mind!"

"No, no. If you're happy, then I'm happy. I just don't want you to look back on this day in a bad way …"

"Don't worry Kyo-kun, I won't! I'm happy just because I'm with you! It doesn't matter where we go, just as long as we're together!"

Kyo fell back into his seat at Tohru's words. Did she actually realize that this was a … date? Whatever she thought, her words were comforting to him. He was able to enjoy the rest of their lunch in peace.

The food at the diner wasn't that great, but Kyo and Tohru had a good time despite that. They both talked about memories they shared, and managed to laugh a little bit. When it was time to pay, Tohru kept apologizing to Kyo. She said she would pay him back somehow, but Kyo said that was ridiculous. Kyo took Tohru's hand as they both got up, and he hurried them out of the smoky, dimly lit diner. They were both now walking on the sidewalk, hand in hand. At that very moment, Kyo felt like the luckiest guy in the world. "Do you wanna do anything else?" he asked Tohru. Tohru gave his hand a squeeze and looked up at him with shining eyes. "That'd be fun! What do you have in mind, Kyo-kun?" Kyo returned her smile, suddenly feeling his stomach do somersaults. If only she knew the effect she had on him. "Um …" Kyo looked around. Where else could he take Tohru? The only places they passed were shops, and he couldn't take her to any of them. They didn't seem like the types of shops that would interest her. He then spotted a park up ahead and thought that it would be the best place to take her now. He nudged her and pointed in the direction of the park. "Wanna go there?" Tohru smiled and nodded. "Yes, it looks like a nice place! I love parks!"

The two teens made their way into the park, which appeared to be empty. The park was very quaint looking with a fountain, perfect green terrain, benches, and trees, and everything was tidy. They both sat down on a bench and Kyo let go of her hand. There was a great deal of space between them, and Kyo wanted so much to sit close to her and close that gap, but he didn't want to make her think he was trying to take advantage of her. Next to him, Tohru sighed happily. "I've had a lot of fun today, Kyo-kun," she said with complete honesty. "Thank you for taking me out today! Nobody's ever done something like this for me before." Kyo shrugged. "No big deal."

_How do I feel about you right now? Sitting here with you, no one else around … It's a different feeling. I feel different when I'm with you … But it's a good feeling. What should I do? I want to tell you so much how I feel, but I'm afraid you might not feel the same way. How could you? How could you feel that way about a person like me? You deserve someone so much better, someone who can offer you everything you want … I may not be able to give you everything you want, but I can offer you a lot. I …_

"Tohru?"

"Kyo-kun?"

Both Tohru and Kyo had said each other's names at the same time. Slightly blushing, they both turned to each other. "Y-You can go first," Kyo said. Tohru shook her head. "No, no, you can go first, Kyo-kun!" Biting his lip and sighing, Kyo scooted over closer to Tohru on the bench. Their shoulders touched, and Kyo gently took her hand in his. It was going to be hard to tell her this, but he didn't want to end up like Kazuma. Oh, if Tohru was ever killed, or if she was suddenly taken away from him, he wouldn't be able to live it down. "Tohru," he whispered. With his free hand, he began to stroke her hair and then her face. "Tohru, you don't know how you've changed my life … My life's been so different ever since we met. But I'm happy … I've never felt this happy before around a person …" Their faces were inching closer together and Kyo felt himself inhaling sharply before it finally happened; their lips met.

The kiss was tender and sweet, filled with emotion and longing. Tohru's hands seemed to be glued to Kyo's shoulders, while his were caressing her face. Kyo's world seemed to be spinning right underneath the bench. Before they both pulled away slowly, thunder clapped in the sky and rain slowly began to fall from the clouds. Once Tohru and Kyo broke away they both looked up, above their heads, at the falling droplets. They both looked back at each other, smiling and blushing, and Kyo kissed Tohru again, only this time with more passion, as if he was speaking all of his feelings through the kiss. When they broke away once more, they leaned their foreheads together and the words that Kyo thought he would never say to anyone rolled off his tongue like melting ice cream.

"I love you, Tohru."

* * *

I'm not so great with kissing scenes! I hope I wrote it okay! Did you all like it? I hope so, because I know I would have liked it if I was a reader instead of the author -**giggle**- I don't really know why I made the diner like that. I thought I'd make this date a little different from the ones in other fan fiction stories. Well, once again, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all soon!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	11. Summer Love

Hey everyone! I'm finally back! I'm sorry I was late with chapter … I haven't updated since the tenth! I hope none of you thought I just dropped the story, because I haven't! School's actually made me busier than I thought it would! I had a history essay to write, I've had homework, I've been spending time doing my hair -**giggle**- I deeply apologize. But thank you so much for all of those reviews! Chapter ten was a huge success! I can't believe it! You guys are the greatest! You all make me so happy! Now, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I've tried to make it as fluffy as possible! Enjoy!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: Summer Love  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

And in case you were wondering

-

You are like a sunset to me

-

You're all kinds of beautiful as you end my day

-

And you sweetly retire as the stars chase you away

- _Sunsets and Car Crashes _by the Spill Canvas

The night of Tohru and Kyo's first kiss was like just any other night. After that moment in the park the two walked home, only this time Kyo had his arm around Tohru's shoulder, holding her close as they walked through the rain. When they were at home they went about their normal routines, only each of them had been thinking about that kiss. To Tohru, it was almost just like the dream she had when she was in Paris. The kiss was tender yet passionate, and Tohru and Kyo seemed to be telling each other their feelings without words. Tohru was caught off guard at first, and when she pursed her lips together she could feel her face turn red at the fact that Kyo touched those lips with his own. Kyo, on the other hand, couldn't function properly. He had kissed Tohru. He _kissed_ her. Sure, he liked it, but what would Kazuma think if he found out? Would he think Kyo was irresponsible about doing that? Would he have Tohru move somewhere else so things don't get too 'out of hand'?

Well, he didn't _have_ to know …

And so, it was now summertime, and Tohru and Kyo enjoyed the beginning of it very much. They would take walks together, go to the store, and every night they sat on the roof as they watched the stars twinkle in the night and the moon glimmer in the midnight blue sky. Of course, they kissed many times, almost too much, because sometimes Kyo couldn't take being away from her too long. Before summer vacation started and Tohru was still in school, Kyo would impatiently await her return, kind of like a puppy waiting for their master. Like a puppy, Kyo would kiss Tohru once she got back, also hug her, stroke her hair, and tell her how much he missed her. Once Tohru finished her homework, they would spend as much time as they could together. And did Kazuma ever get suspicious?

Of course he did.

Now it was the middle of July, and Kyo and Tohru were at the beach. It was their first time at the beach together, and Tohru wanted to make it special so she made lunch and brought blankets and things for them to do. Kyo had told her the night before that he hated swimming and wasn't going to go in the water, but Kyo couldn't help but change his mind when Tohru went running in the water by the shore, kicking and splashing water around. And Kyo couldn't help but think how cute she looked in her bathing suit, so he went over by the shore with her.

"The water's really nice, Kyo-kun!" Tohru said happily when Kyo joined her. He took her hand in his, entwining their fingers together. He nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is," he said as the cool, refreshing, foamy water rolled onto his feet and back into the ocean. The air was salty and stuck to his skin and his hair. Tohru's hair was in pigtails, and they were whipping about around her head. She leaned in closer to Kyo, and he gently wrapped his arm around her tiny waist. Tohru leaned her head on Kyo's shoulder as they both watched the waves crash onto the shore. "Kyo-kun?" Tohru suddenly said. Kyo rolled his eyes in her direction, letting her know that she had his attention. "I love you," she whispered softly. Her voice was barely hearable over the roaring of the wind and the flowing sound of the ocean, but Kyo's heart turned, as it always did when Tohru told him she loved him. She just had that effect on him, and he couldn't control it. It's not like her wanted to get rid of it anyway … It made him feel wonderful. Tohru made him feel wonderful. Tohru _was_ wonderful.

Kyo dipped down his head and captured Tohru's lips in a kiss. The two took advantage of the moment, letting the waves crash down onto them. As the kiss deepened, Tohru and Kyo's bodies pressed against one another, making the kiss too much for Kyo to handle, and his hands began to trail up and down her slender body. He didn't want to wreck the moment, but he knew that if he didn't end the kiss he would get carried away. He slowly pulled back, brushing Tohru's bangs away from her face, and stared into her eyes. "Sorry," he said, a smile grazing his face. "I kind of got carried away."

"It's okay," Tohru whispered. She gently laid her head on his shoulder, and together they watched roll onto the shore.

It was the summer nights that Tohru and Kyo enjoyed the most. Although it took Kyo a long time to convince Tohru, the two would occasionally take walks around the woods under the moonlit sky, without Kazuma knowing. He would be sleeping, or watching television, or reading, and Kyo and Tohru would quietly leave. Kyo knew Kazuma would object to letting them be outside at night, so that's why they had to sneak out. They would leave the house around nine o'clock, and they sometimes wouldn't get in until one o'clock in the morning. There was a lake nearby Kazuma's house, one that you had to walk through the woods to get to, and Tohru and Kyo would sit by it a lot. Tohru would sit in Kyo's lap and he would stroke her hair or just whisper sweet nothings into her ear. The lake would shine underneath the moonlight, and that light would reflect in Tohru's eyes, making Kyo lose his breath whenever looked into them.

"Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked one night when they were sitting at the lake together. Kyo and Tohru were both leaning against a rock, holding hands, Kyo using his thumb to massage the back of Tohru's hand. "Yeah?" Kyo responded. Tohru snuggled closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "Do you believe in angels?"

"Huh? What're you talking about?"

"Do you believe in angels?"

Kyo bit his lip. What kind of question was that? Was she going to get all spiritual or religious on him? Kyo decided to answer this question as best as he could. "Sure I do," he answered. "I've talked to one before, I've hugged one … I've even kissed one, too."

"Really! You have, Kyo-kun?" Tohru sounded amazed. "Wow! How did you meet her? Where is she now?"

"Well," Kyo started, beginning to stroke Tohru's hair. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I met her last year, and she's sitting next to me right now. _You're_ my angel, Tohru. You're like heaven to me." Tohru's face immediately turned red, and Kyo could even see the bright color of her cheeks despite the darkness. He leaned in and kissed her, forgetting everything else besides himself and Tohru, and he pressed her down into the ground. He cautiously slid his tongue into her mouth, exploring her teeth and tongue. Tohru moaned in ecstasy as his lips trailed a path of kisses from her mouth to her neck. Kyo untwined their hands so he could run his fingers through her long, silky hair. Tohru's arms were wrapped around his neck and she tried as hard as she could not to accidentally choke him. Kyo's mouth left her neck and went back up to her face, kissing her cheeks, nose, and forehead. He then went to her ear, kissing it lightly and whispering, "You're so beautiful" repeatedly. His hands slowly went under her thin shirt, feeling her smooth, soft skin. Tohru loved the way Kyo's warm hands felt on her bare back, and she couldn't help but quietly moan.

"Tohru?" Kyo began to stroke her face, and he finally noticed that she was breathing heavily. "Are you okay?" Kyo questioned as he sat up. Tohru brushed her hair away from her face and sat up as well. Her face was flushed, and she leaned her head against Kyo's shoulder. "I'm fine, Kyo-kun," she said. She looked up at him, smiling softly, her eyes twinkling. Kyo didn't know how long Tohru and Kyo stayed like that, just staring into each other's eyes, but it was for the majority of the night.

And did Kazuma somehow realize that Kyo and Tohru would suddenly be gone during the night?

Of course he did.

Occasionally, Kazuma would hear the door open downstairs when he was in his bedroom, reading, and he would hear people walking up the stairs and to the directions of Kyo and Tohru's rooms. Did he know what they were doing and why they were outside? He had an idea, and he wasn't going to stop them because if they were happy, that's all that mattered.

During the day Tohru and Kyo did things together as well. Not only did they go to the beach a lot, but they would get together would Arisa and Saki But did Arisa and Saki know that Kyo and Tohru were dating?

They had an idea.

It's not that Tohru didn't want to tell them, she was just afraid that they would act different around her and Kyo. The four of them would hang around at places like Saki's house, or Kazuma's, and they would go out for lunch, and Arisa and Saki accompanied Tohru and Kyo at the beach once in a while. Tohru and Kyo just acted friendly around Arisa and Saki, but it was the way they looked at each other and the way they smiled that made the girls a little suspicious.

"So, you wanna sleep over at Hanajima's place tonight, Tohru?" Arisa once asked when they were all out at a diner for lunch. "We've hadn't had a sleepover in _ages_ and, you know, since I don't have work tomorrow I thought that we'd stay at Hanajima's." Tohru looked from her friend to Kyo, wondering what he would want her to do. She agreed with Arisa that they hadn't had a sleepover since she was living with Kyoko, but she didn't want Kyo to feel like she was leaving him for her friends. "Orange can come too, I guess," Arisa added with a laugh. "But you wouldn't wanna hang around three girls all night who just sit and talk about crap, would you?"

"Of course I wouldn't," Kyo spat back in response, crossing his arms over his chest. "Who the hell would?"

Tohru bit her lip. Clearly, Kyo seemed mad. Well, what she could do was have Arisa and Saki spend the night at Kazuma's! That way, she could have a sleepover with her friends and not leave Kyo alone all night. It was the perfect idea! "I know!" Tohru said happily. "How about we stay at our house? That way, we can all be together! Uo-chan and Hana-chan, we can still have fun with Kyo-kun, but we'll sleep in my bedroom while Kyo-kun sleeps in his! How does that sound?" Arisa pondered Tohru's suggestion while Saki ate, and Kyo stared at Tohru. She was willing to stay at home with him? She could have went with her friends, she knew that. It didn't matter to him, but he would have missed her. Kyo made a mental note to thank her later.

"Okay, sounds good," Arisa said. "Hanajima and I'll be there around eight, okay?" Tohru nodded. "Okay! We're going to have a lot of fun tonight!"

When Kyo and Tohru got home, Kyo stopped Tohru before they went inside. "You could've gone to that psychic's house, you know," he told her. "I wouldn't have cared. Sure, I would've missed holding you before we went to sleep and everything—" Tohru giggled and blushed "—and I would've missed you like crazy, but it's just one night. You could've gone." Tohru stepped closer to Kyo and leaned in, hugging him. Kyo wrapped his arms around her small body, breathing in the fresh scent of her hair. "I know," Tohru said into his shoulder. "But I would have missed you too, and I know we're all going to have a lot of fun tonight!"

"What about Shishou?" Kyo reminded Tohru. "I'm sure he'll let them come over, but you gotta ask him first remember?" Tohru drew away from Kyo and looked him in the face. "Oh," she said, biting her lip. "I forgot … Oh, I hope Shishou-san doesn't get upset with me when he finds out that I've already invited them over!"

"Why the hell would he?" Kyo said. "You _do_ live here, you know. If you just let him know that they're coming he won't have a problem. Trust me, I've lived with Shishou since I was six … I know him." Tohru nodded, now smiling a little more. "Okay, Kyo-kun," she said. Kyo then kissed her on the forehead, and they both went inside.

Like Kyo said, Kazuma had no problem with Arisa and Saki spending the night. Tohru happily made dinner for everyone, and made extras just in case Arisa and Saki didn't have dinner before they arrived. Kazuma, Kyo, and Tohru ate dinner together and at eight o'clock Arisa and Saki arrived as planned. They had the dinner that Tohru made them, and then everyone went in the living room to watch a movie. If Arisa and Saki noticed how close Tohru and Kyo were sitting to each other, or how each time a scary part came on Tohru would cuddle next to Kyo and squeeze her eyes shut as he put an arm around her shoulder, they never said anything.

"Aw, that was a good movie," Arisa said, stretching her arms out once the movie was over. "Yes, it was good," Saki agreed. "But everything was fake. The dead don't just come out of the ground as skeletons, they—"

"And how the hell do you know that?" Arisa asked. Before Saki could answer, there was a loud thunderclap and the teenagers then heard rain beginning to pour outside. "Well, it's about time we got rain," Arisa said. "It's been so damn hot out, I thought I was gonna have a stroke or something."

"Yes, it has been awfully hot out …"

"Well, you wear black all of the time, so you're a different story."

As Arisa and Saki talked, Tohru and Kyo still sat close to each other. Tohru didn't like thunderstorms, and Kyo didn't want to leave her, so he sat close to her. His arm wasn't around her anymore, and he felt it twitch whenever he had the urge to. It was when the lights went off and Tohru cowered to him that he couldn't help it. "Hey, the lights went out," Arisa suddenly acknowledged. "No shit," Kyo said. He held Tohru closer to him each time it thundered. It was thundering so loud that the windows shook, and the bright lightening could be seen behind the closed curtains. Kyo could feel Tohru trembling next to him, and he whispered comforting words to her as it continued to storm outside. "Don't worry," he whispered into her ear after planting kisses on her face. "You're with me … It's okay."

"Hey, guys, let's tell scary stories!" Arisa said. "I bet Hanajima knows some pretty good ones." Tohru squeaked and cuddled closer to Kyo at the sound of scary stories, which reminded Arisa that Tohru wasn't the type of person who liked them. "Oh, sorry Tohru," Arisa said apologetically. "I forgot you don't like them, Tohru! Maybe we can just tell funny stories then?"

"I know a funny story," Saki said. "Yes, it was very funny. A boy in school once tried to pull my hair and he ended up with a seizure. It was funny … Very funny."

"Your idea of funny and our idea of funny are totally different," Kyo said. "I find that really scary."

The lights were out for about twenty minutes, but everyone talked the whole time. Kyo and Tohru had no idea where Kazuma was, but once the lights turned on they had other things to worry about. Kyo was holding Tohru close to him, and Arisa and Saki were staring right at them.

"Well," Arisa said, an eyebrow raised. "What do we have here?"

* * *

Ah, I've left you all with a cliffhanger this time! I don't usually do cliffhangers, but I decided in that in this situation it would be reasonable. Did you all like it? I hope so! Please review, and thank you _so_ much for all of the reviews! You're all so wonderful! I'll be back soon!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	12. Worries

Hey everyone! I am **_so_** sorry that it took me a while to update… and this chapter's not even that long. I had a big history project to work on and I've been sleeping and doing things over the weekend and I've hardly had any time! I'd like to thank you all for your reviews on the last chapter though, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter too! I'll admit it's not much, and I could have done better, but I wanted to get in an update since I only updated about twice in September. I promise I'll try not to exceed over two weeks when it comes to my length in updating. I know once it's winter vacation I'll have more time for writing, but that'll be in December -**giggle**-

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: Worries  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

Ever so sweet, you make this seem

-

The way things go, it's not my fault

-

And I'll miss, I'll miss you so good

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Through all of those nights

-

We lost our way back home

- _Ever So Sweet _by the Early November

Tohru and Kyo both stared absently at Arisa, completely unaware of the positions they were in. Kyo then realized that he was still holding Tohru, so he quickly scooted over and removed his arms from around her body. He sighed and stared into his lap, twiddling his fingers together. _Dammit_, he thought. _How am I supposed to explain _this_? That damn Yankee'll probably beat the crap outta me._

"I knew you two had a thing for each other."

Kyo's head jerked up. Did Arisa say what he thought she just said? No offensive remarks or hitting him? And she _knew_? Since when?

"Uo-chan?" Tohru said. She seemed to be just as shocked as Kyo was. He could hear it in her voice. Arisa sat down in between Tohru and Kyo. "Not necessarily," she said. "I had an idea. Hanajima's the one who pointed it out. After she did, I took a good look at you two whenever you were together and figured she was probably right. Why didn't you say anything, Tohru? Did you actually believe me all of those times I talked about messing with your future boyfriends, or that I would kill the first guy who tried to make a move on you?"

"Well … I … That is—"

Arisa laughed aloud. "Oh, come on!" she joked. "Tohru, I'm happy for you! Why wouldn't I be? What kind of friend would be mad at their friend for being happy with someone else? Sure, we may not be spending as much time with each other as we used to, but our friendship'll still stay the same."

"Uo-chan …"

Kyo got up and stretched out his back. "I'm gonna, uh … take a bath," he said as he walked out of the room, leaving the three girls alone. Hanajima got up and sat next to Arisa. "Tohru-kun, I'm happy for you too," she said. "Your waves … Your waves are very strong around him, and his are the same around you. They've been like that for a long time … But don't worry; we won't do anything to him. Not unless he does something inappropriate or harmful to you. Yes, that'll be different …"

"Oh, um, don't worry Hana-chan!" Tohru squeaked nervously. "Kyo-kun isn't like that. When I'm with him I feel …"

"We know Tohru," Arisa told her. She laughed a bit, ending her laugh with a sigh. "We've talked about this before." Tohru nodded, thinking back to the day after her mother passed away and how she almost confessed her feelings for Kyo to her friends. A smile grazed her lips. "Yes, we have," she said. Tohru then felt a hand on her back and turned to see Saki smiling gently at her. "You both are going to last a long time," she said. "I can feel it."

"Sure, why wouldn't they?" Arisa said. She then pounded a fist into her hand. "But remember, Tohru … If he ever does anything, and I mean _anything_ that makes you upset or uncomfortable, I'll beat him to a pulp."

"Oh, um! That won't be necessary! Kyo-kun's—"

"And if he breaks your heart, I'll kill 'im with my bare hands!"

"Yes, I'll help ..."

"Nya! Uo-chan, Hana-chan!" Arisa laughed and patted Tohru on the head. "Don't worry," she said. "We're only kidding."

The girls talked a laughed until Kyo came back from his bath, and they all ended up watching another movie. This time Arisa and Saki kept their eyes on Tohru and Kyo, just to make sure that Kyo didn't have his hands all over Tohru like he did the first time they watched a movie. The evening resulted in being an enjoyable one, the girls staying up late, just talking and having fun. In the morning after they left, Kyo asked Tohru how they took it.

"Oh, they were fine!" Tohru said happily as she was cleaning up breakfast. "They didn't have a problem with it at all! They were happy for us!" Kyo crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his back against the kitchen counter next to Tohru as she cleaned the dishes. They both had something else bothering them that neither of them wanted to bring up.

Kazuma never came home.

Kyo went over to the refrigerator and took out a carton of milk. He took a large sip out of it, his thoughts trailing to all of the possibilities as to why Kazuma never came home the night before. He never left a note anywhere, and he never called. Should he try calling Kunimitsu's house to see if he heard from him? It sounded like a good idea because if anyone knew where Kazuma was, it was Kunimitsu. After all, he was pretty much like Kazuma's personal secretary.

Kyo put the milk back in the refrigerator and kissed Tohru on the cheek before heading out of the kitchen. "I'm gonna … um … do something upstairs, okay?" Tohru nodded as she dried off a wet dish. "Okay Kyo-kun, I'm going to do the laundry so if you need me I'll probably be outside hanging up the clothes!" Kyo nodded to her as he left the kitchen and started up the stairs. Once upstairs, Kyo went to Kazuma's room and to his night table, reaching for the phone that sat there. He dialed Kunimitsu's phone number, his hands lightly shaking, and as the phone rang he couldn't help but pray for someone to answer.

The phone on the other end then picked up, and Kyo almost immediately asked where Kazuma was, but then he realized that it was Kunimitsu's answering machine. Kyo's heart tightened and his hands began to shake more as he placed the phone back on the receiver and sat down on Kazuma's bed.

_Where the hell is he?_

Running a hand down his face and sighing, Kyo thought of everything Kazuma had said the previous evening. Did he mention he was going anywhere? No, Kyo only remembered Tohru asking him about Arisa and Saki sleeping over, and that's when Kazuma seemed to disappear. Balling his hand into a fist, Kyo slammed it onto the bed in frustration. He wasn't in the mood for this right now.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Tohru bit her lip nervously as she put away the dishes. She, like Kyo, was wondering where Kazuma was. Was he okay? Did something happen? What if he got seriously injured and needed help? Then again, he never said anything about going out, so how come he wasn't in the house? Was there an emergency somewhere that he needed to go to and he forgot to mention it to them? It just wasn't like Kazuma to do something like that.

_Shishou-san … I hope he's okay._

Tohru looked up at the ceiling, wondering about Kyo. Surely he was probably worried too, but didn't want to show it. Tohru decided to leave him alone, since he clearly went upstairs to do something alone, and she started out of the kitchen and to the laundry room.

The whole afternoon passed and there was still no news about Kazuma. Tohru finished the laundry in an hour's time and when she got inside Kyo was still upstairs. She respected his solitude and didn't bother him, but once she made lunch she decided to go upstairs to check on him.

"Kyo-kun?" Tohru spoke as she gently tapped on his closed bedroom door. When no one answered she knocked a little louder and then heard the sound of rustling on the other side of the door. Kyo opened it and when he saw Tohru he tried to look as calm and cool as he could. "Hey," he said, leaning on the doorframe, rubbing his forehead. Tohru gave him a warm smile. "I made lunch!" she said. When Kyo didn't say anything, but just nodded, she stepped closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. "Kyo-kun, are you alright?" Tohru asked him. Kyo sighed and Tohru could feel the rise and fall of his chest against her own. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said to her. "It's just … Shishou. Where then hell can he be? We haven't seen him since last night, and he didn't even tell us where he was going. It's like he just disappeared."

"I know Kyo-kun," Tohru said, nodding. "I-I've been worrying all afternoon … Maybe he just forgot to call though? I know it's not like him, but—"

"Well, he can be forgetful sometimes," Kyo interrupted, trying to make Tohru and him feel a little better. Why was it that whenever he was around Tohru that always came so easy to him? Kyo felt Tohru's head move against his shoulder, indicating that she was nodding. "Would you like to eat now?" she asked him. Kyo nodded and pulled away from her slowly, taking her hand as they made their ways downstairs.

Kyo and Tohru ate lunch quietly, exchanging little conversation, their minds flooding with worry. Kyo mentioned that he phoned Kunimitsu's house and that no one answered, and that seemed to make Tohru even more worried. "Kunimitsu-san must been with him them!" she said. Kyo shrugged in response. "I dunno. Yeah, Kunimitsu's almost always with Shishou, but …"

"But what, Kyo-kun?"

"I don't know … I just don't understand."

While Kyo was helping Tohru clean up lunch, the phone rang.

Tohru immediately dropped the plate she was holding onto the table, unnoticing the fact that it cracked. She looked over to Kyo, who had ran out into the hall, and she hurried over to the door and looked out into the hall. She couldn't see Kyo's face, for his back was to her, but she could sense trouble in Kyo's voice.

"W-What do you mean?" he croaked. He paused for a few seconds, which indicated that he was obviously listening to the person on the other line. Kyo then sighed and mumbled something Tohru couldn't make out, and then he hung up the phone.

Kyo stood in his spot for the next few moments, contemplating what he had just heard. Tohru didn't know whether she should go over to Kyo and see what was the matter, or if she should just stay where she was. She followed her instinct and slowly walked over to her boyfriend, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Kyo-kun?" Kyo sighed in response. "I know here Shishou is," he said. "Oh, that's a relief!" Tohru said happily. "Is he okay Kyo-kun? Why didn't he come home last night?" Looking at the lost, almost grim expression on Kyo's face, for he had turned his head toward her, she knew this news wasn't as good as it sounded. "Kyo-kun," she spoke quietly. "What happened?" Kyo picked up his head and looked Tohru in the eye. "Shishou's in the hospital."

Tohru's hands immediately cupped her mouth in shock. Her eyes looked horrorstricken, which caused Kyo to bring her into a warm embrace.

"Don't worry," Kyo told her. "Shishou's really strong, he'll pull through. The doctor was the person I talked to … He doesn't know exactly what happened, just that Shishou was in some kind of fight. But we both know that Shishou isn't the type to fight so it must've been about something really important."

"But … Kyo-kun," Tohru brought her face away from his shoulder and looked up at him with glistening eyes. "How is his condition?" Kyo shrugged, stroking Tohru's bangs away from her face. "I'm not too sure. I was just so stunned that I didn't hear anything he said after that. He said we can go visit him tomorrow—"

"Yes, we should! I would really like to see him!" Tohru said before Kyo could finish what he was saying. "I just hope … It's not that bad." Kyo looked at Tohru for a few moments then kissed the tip of her nose. "He won't, trust me. Shishou's a great fighter and if it just so happened to be a fight that he got caught in, he barely got hurt. I know it."

_Just how sure am I?_

That night Kyo and Tohru found it a little awkward to be sleeping in the same house with no Kazuma around. They stayed up later than they usually did, but this time they didn't take a walk through the woods and they didn't sit on the roof all night. They had different things on their minds. Things that worried them, yet they didn't want to talk about. Kyo felt like he was going to strangle himself for not listening to the doctor. If he had listened he would have known if Kazuma was in stable condition or not, and he and Tohru would have been a little more relaxed.

And what about Kunimitsu?

That was right … The doctor never said anything about Kunimitsu. Where was he? Was he with Kazuma, or was it just a coincidence that Kyo couldn't reach him at his home?

"Calm down," Kyo whispered to himself. "Kunimitsu probably just went somewhere and you just couldn't get in touch with him … Don't get so worked up about nothing."

"Kyo-kun?"

Kyo hadn't realized that he was talking louder than he thought he was. He turned to Tohru, who was now in her pajamas, and shook his head. "Nothing," he said. He was sitting on the couch and Tohru sat with him, his arms around her. Tohru's head leaned against Kyo's chest and they both sat there together, the lights off, wondering what will come of their visit to Kazuma the next day.

* * *

There we go! Well, I'm guessing you all know what's going on in the next chapter. And I'm also guessing that there's at least six chapters left in this story. I'm going to try and make them longer and I'm definitely going to try finding time to write without rushing. Once again, thank you for reading, thank you for reviewing, and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'll see you soon!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	13. A Painful Visit

Hey everyone! Oh my gosh … I haven't updated for over a month! I am **_so_** sorry! I've had history assignments, English assignments, I've been staying after a lot, I've been doing a lot of things over the weekend, and I've had a lot of homework! I've been so busy! And pretty soon I'm starting track and I'm going to be staying after school everyday until six o'clock until February … But don't worry, I'm not going to just leave you all! I'm still going to gradually work on my story! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing the last chapter … This story is very close to one hundred reviews! I can't wait for that to happen! Probably by the end of the story I'll have that much reviews … And once this story's finished, I have plans for five more stories! Three of them are going to be based off of movies and books (I'm not sure if I'm going to do one of them though), and the other two are just stories that I thought up. The ones based off of movies and books are going to be under Fruits Basket, one of my original stories is going to be under D.N. Angel, and I'm thinking of putting my other original story under Fruits Basket. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I'm really sorry about it being so late! It feels like just yesterday I started writing this story … Now we're up to the thirteenth chapter! Please review and enjoy!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: A Painful Visit  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

To her own reflection she said,

-

"I will hold on"

-

To her own reflection she said,

-

"I will be strong"

- _Without You Here_ by Finch

Walking hand in hand, Tohru and Kyo made their way to a nearby bus stop the next day. The hospital that Kyo was told Kazuma was at was too far for the two teens to walk, so they looked up a bus schedule online. The weather was humid and foggy and almost everything seemed to be sticky. It was one of those summer days that people didn't enjoy too much. In Kyo and Tohru's cases, it was both the weather and their situation.

Kyo still hadn't guessed why Kazuma was in the hospital. His only option was that Kazuma got into a fight, like the doctor had suggested, but it just wasn't like Kazuma to do something like that. Whatever the reason why it happened didn't really matter to Kyo now. The only thing that did was Kazuma's condition and how soon he would come home.

The bus pulled up to the stop at eleven o'clock in the morning and made a few stops before arriving to the hospital. Strangely enough, though, the bus was greatly occupied and people had to start sharing seats to make room. Tohru ended up sitting on Kyo's lap, for they had to share their seat with an elderly woman. When the bus arrived the hospital, Kyo couldn't have felt any happier to get off. Not that he didn't enjoy Tohru sitting on his lap … The bus was just too crowded, making it feel stuffy, and the rain wasn't helping either.

Kyo and Tohru, along with many other passengers who got off the bus, all walked in the pouring rain and into the hospital. The hospital lobby was flooded with people making it almost impossible to get through and onto an elevator. "What the hell's going on?" Kyo murmured in frustration. His comment was only eligible for Tohru to hear, for the lobby was also echoing from all of the talking. "Maybe they're having trouble with something?" Tohru suggested. "I guess," Kyo said. "But what?"

"The elevators, maybe?"

Sure enough, there was a stand with a sign pasted to it saying, 'Elevators down … All visitors must take stairwell.' "Great," Kyo said after he read the sign. "Just great … Who knows if we'll even be able to see Shishou today?" Kyo sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the nearest wall. Tohru bit her lip and then gently placed a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, trying to comfort him. "Kyo-kun, we'll be able to see Shishou-san, don't worry," she told him. Kyo sighed again as he put his head down. "I know," he said. "But … I just don't want … me, or you … to lose anyone important to us anymore. First it was your mom, and now a few months later, Shishou? It's not fair …"

"But Kyo-kun," Tohru said, gently taking Kyo's hand into hers. Kyo looked up, suddenly finding his face growing hot, due to the tender way Tohru was looking at him. She had a gentle smile and her cheeks were a light tint of pink; the perfect image of purity and elegance. "No matter what happens," she continued, "we have each other."

Kyo smiled faintly; Tohru always knew how to make him feel better. He lifted up a hand and placed it on her head as she leaned in closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

Within time people in the lobby slowly started leaving. People were finally able to use the stairs to visit patients, and the elevators were in the process of being fixed. Two and half hours after Tohru and Kyo got to the hospital, they were on the sixth floor of the hospital, for the lines on the stairs were moving slowly. And the fact that Kazuma's room was on the last floor did make matters any easier.

By three-thirty they were at the tenth floor, which was halfway to the twentieth floor, the floor Kazuma's room was on.

"Can this take any longer?" Kyo groaned as he leaned his head against the wall of the stairwell. "We'll get to him soon, Kyo-kun!" Tohru said with delight in her voice. That was Tohru for you, always optimistic.

Finally, an hour later, Tohru and Kyo reached the twentieth floor of the hospital. At the reception desk in the lobby, they were told that Kazuma was in room one ninety-two, so they went down the hall until they reached the room. Outside the door there was a little sign and in semi-neat handwriting, the words 'Sohma, Kazuma' were written down.

"Do you want to be alone with Shishou-san for a little bit, Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked when Kyo placed a hand on the doorknob. "If you want, I can go sit in the waiting room." Kyo shook his head and turned away from the door. "No," he started. "No … I-I need you to help me through this …"

In all of her time knowing Kyo, Tohru had never seen him like this. She nodded slowly and placed her own hand on the doorknob so that it lay on Kyo's, and together they both cautiously opened the door.

The hospital room was all white, but today held a gloomy atmosphere due to the rain. Kazuma's bed was on the opposite side of the room, right next to the large glass window, and next to his bed were IVs where clear bags of blood and other liquids hung from. There were tubes in Kazuma's nose, obviously to assist him in breathing, and his skin was pale. By his bedside was a tray with food on it, untouched, along with several bottles of water, also untouched. There was also a nightstand.

Kyo held his breath; it was hard for him to see Kazuma in this state. But he wasn't going to break down … He had to stay strong for Tohru's sake. Slowly he started for Kazuma's bed, Tohru following him, and he kneeled down by Kazuma's bedside. He gently began to tap Kazuma on the shoulder. "Shishou?" he said softly. "Shishou, are you up? It's Kyo and Tohru. We're here to see how you're feeling." _Please wake up _…

Tohru then knelt by Kyo's side and tenderly took Kazuma's pale, icy cold hand. "Shishou-san," she said in a hoarse whisper, her voice inaudible. Kyo could tell that it was very hard for her to see Kazuma in this state as well. "Shishou-san, Kyo-kun and I are here to see you … Are you okay? We were very worried about you." Kyo looked over to Tohru, for she spoke as if there was a lump in her throat. Her eyes glistened under the dim lights of the hospital room, and she was biting her lip. Kyo put an arm around her and leaned his head on hers. "It's okay," he whispered to her as tears streamed down her cheeks. "He'll be fine …"

Behind them, Tohru and Kyo heard the door open and gently close. They both turned their heads to see a man standing by the door, holding a clipboard and wearing a white coat that stopped a little before his knees. He had silky black hair that was combed to the side and small glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose. He looked professional and sophisticated.

"Good afternoon," he said kindly. A small smile appeared on his face. "My name is Ichiro Tsutsumi. I'm Sohma-san's doctor. Are you both his children?"

"No," Kyo said, standing up. Tohru stood up with him. "Well, I'm his son. She's my girlfriend, but she lives with us because of something that … happened." Ichiro Tsutsumi nodded. "Is Shishou-san going to be okay, Tsutsumi-san?" Tohru asked politely. She dabbed her wet eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. The doctor nodded and walked over to Kazuma's bed, taking off the stethoscope that lay around his neck. He inserted the eartips into his ears and placed the chestpiece gently on Kazuma's chest. After a few seconds of silence, the doctor nodded to himself and turned to Kyo and Tohru. "You're the family member of his I spoke to on the phone, I'm assuming," he told Kyo. Kyo nodded and took a step closer to the bed. "What happened to him?" he asked. His voice was hesitant, for he wasn't too sure if he wanted to know exactly what happened.

Ichiro Tsutsumi looked at his clipboard. "Apparently Sohma-san was involved in a fight," he started. "I wasn't told all of the details by the paramedics, but they did tell me it was very gruesome. He's lost a lot of blood, so I'm guessing there were weapons involved. That's all I was told."

"Where'd this happen?" Kyo asked, feeling his hands ball into fists.

"I believe it happened at a martial arts dojo."

"Was there anyone there named Kunimitsu Tomoda who was with him?"

"Is he a friend of Sohma-san?"

"Yeah …"

"I'll check with the receptionists and see if anyone was checked in under that name."

"Thank you very much, Tsutsumi-san!" Tohru said.

The doctor flipped through the papers on his clipboard, took one last look at Kazuma, and then proceeded to the door. "That's all for now," he said. "If you need anything, you can just push that button—" he pointed to a button that was on a wire connected to the wall that sat next to Kazuma's hand "—and one of the nurses will help you. I'll also look in on that person you asked me about." Ichiro Tsutsumi took out a pen from the pocket of his coat. "What was his name again?"

"Kunimitsu Tomoda," Kyo answered. The doctor scribbled on a piece of paper. "Right. You two have a good day."

"You too! Thank you very much, Tsutsumi-san!" Tohru called to him as he walked out of the room. Kyo pulled up the only two chairs in the room closer to Kazuma's bed and he and Tohru both sat down. The chairs were closer enough for Kyo to take Tohru's hand and gently hold it as they both stared at Kazuma's stagnant body. "Do you think Kunimitsu-san is here?" Tohru finally questioned. Kyo shrugged. "I don't know … But I hope is he," he said. "If he's awake and feels okay, maybe he can tell us what happened. I'm sure he was there. He's usually everywhere with Shishou when it comes to martial arts …" Kyo paused.

"Why do you think they were at the dojo?" Tohru inquired. "Beats me," Kyo said. "It must've been really important, or Shishou wouldn't have run out like that on us." Tohru nodded in agreement.

The two teens were silent for several minutes, both staring at their guardians unconscious form. There was then a knock on the door and Tohru and Kyo both turned their heads to see Ichiro Tsutsumi slowly opening the door. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him with a gentle _click_. He looked at his clipboard with a satisfied grin on his face.

"There is, in fact, a man named Kunimitsu Tomoda-san who was checked in the same time as Kazuma Sohma-san was."

Kyo and Tohru both looked at each other, hope gleaming in their eyes.

"He's on the sixteenth floor, and he's in stable condition," the doctor continued. "Here's his room number—" he handed Kyo a small piece of paper with the numbers sixteen and one thirty-five written on it "—I'll have the nurses keep an eye on Sohma-san while you two drop Tomoda-san a visit."

"Thank you so much!" Tohru said gratefully. Kyo could tell that she was much happier in knowing that at least Kunimitsu was alright.

Kyo got up and helped Tohru out of her chair. "Come on," he said to her. They started for the door, the doctor following them, then left the room and started down the hallway to the elevators. Apparently they were working now, so Kyo and Tohru were able to get to the sixteenth floor in a record-time of seven minutes.

The sixteenth floor was an exact replica of the twentieth. Everything was in precisely the same spot, making it a cinch for Kyo and Tohru to find Kunimitsu's room. Outside of room one thirty-five, the name 'Tomoda, Kunimitsu' was written on a little sign. Before walking in, Kyo knocked to let Kunimitsu know he had visitors.

"Ah, Kyo!" Kunimitsu said happily when Kyo and Tohru entered the room. "Tohru-san! What a surprise!"

"Hello, Kunimitsu-san!" Tohru greeted happily. "How are you feeling?" Kunimitsu returned Tohru's smile. "I'm good," he answered. "How's Kazuma-san? I've been really worried about him … He got right in the middle of the fight and—"

"That's what we're here to talk about," Kyo interrupted. "What happened to him? And you, too. Why the hell did you both get into a fight?"

"We didn't get into a fight, Kyo," Kunimitsu corrected. "We were trying to break up one."

"And Shishou ended up getting hurt?"

Kunimitsu nodded.

Kyo sighed and sank into a chair. "Great," he said. "If he didn't try to break up that fight, he wouldn't be in this condition."

"Kyo, remember, he was only trying to help."

"Yeah, by helping he got himself put in the hospital. And you, too! Why the hell did you interfere? Are you crazy?"

"Kyo, keep your voice down, this _is_ a hospital you know, I—"

"You two should've just minded your own business and let who was ever fighting, fight."

"But the two men who were fighting could have seriously injured themselves and—"

"And what? Shishou getting hurt is better? Would you rather be in the hospital with Shishou, or see those two guys you don't even know in your place?"

"Kyo, we—"

"Forget it! Come on Tohru."

"But … Kyo-kun … !"

Before Tohru could finish, Kyo got up and made his way out of Kunimitsu's room. Tohru quickly said goodbye to Kunimitsu, wished him good health, and hurried after Kyo as he made his way down the hall towards the elevators to go back upstairs to Kazuma's room.

* * *

I hope you all liked this chapter! The ending was a little strange, but I wanted to get it done with so I could update. The next part of this chapter will be up eventually! Please review, and thank you so much for reading! I'll see you all soon!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	14. Maintaining Consciousness

Happy Holidays! I'm really sorry about this chapter being over a month late again! I guess I'll just be updating monthly now since I get home from school at 6:00, due to track. I've also had track meets, assignments due, a lot of homework, and I've been really busy over the weekend. Thank you so much for all of the reviews though! You guys are so supportive, it's great! It makes me really happy! "Unexpected" is slowly coming to an end though, sadly. I think I did okay with it being that it's kind of my first fan fiction. I'm really looking forward to writing more stories after this, so it'll probably be a month after this story's done that I'll publish a new one. I really don't think I could handle writing two stories at a time, so that's why I'm going one by one. I hope everyone had a great holiday, and please enjoy this chapter!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: Maintaining Consciousness  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter. But, for this chapter and the previous one, the doctor is my own original character.

* * *

To keep our eyes open for just one more day

-

To keep on hoping that we'll stumble on a way

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To keep our minds open for just one more day

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'Cause it's completely up to us

-

To maintain consciousness

- _Maintain Consciousness_ by Relient K

It was now two weeks after the incident, and Kazuma was still unconscious in the hospital. Kunimitsu had returned home after a week and was receiving home therapy for a strained arm. Every evening after going to the hospital, Kyo and Tohru would pay him a visit and Tohru would bring over home cooked meals for him, which Kunimitsu greatly appreciated. She also cleaned up the house for him while Kyo helped him with therapy.

"How long is it going to be until you can start doing martial arts again?" he would ask. "Oh, I don't know … I'd say a few months, maybe," Kunimitsu always responded. Kyo could see the disappointment on the man's face whenever he answered, but Kyo never said anything else after that.

Kyo and Tohru were now at the hospital on a quiet, partly sunny Tuesday afternoon. Tohru sat daintily in a chair, doing homework, while Kyo sat in another chair, looking out the window. One couldn't say that this whole situation necessarily distanced the two apart, but it definitely didn't bring them together. Every night Kyo would sit on the floor against the wall by the phone, waiting for a call from the hospital. Tohru would clean, cook, do homework, then she would sit next to Kyo and lean her head on his shoulder and he would entwine their fingers together, but it usually didn't get more intimate than that.

The sound of the steady beep that emitted from the heart monitor filled the room, causing Kyo's muscles to tense; he hated that thing. He was always afraid that at any moment the beep would never stop, that Kazuma would be gone forever. He would never be able to see the man who saved him from his father ever again …

Tohru, concerned about Kyo's sudden silence, put down her book and gently placed a hand on his right knee. "Kyo-kun, are you alright?" she asked with a tender voice. Kyo sighed, running a hand over his face. "Yeah I'm fine … I just … I just don't want to lose someone important to me again. First I lose my parents, now I might lose Shishou. Who's next … ?" Tohru moved her chair closer to Kyo's. "Kyo-kun, don't worry! Shishou's going to be fine! He—"

There was a rustling of pillows and sheets, causing Kyo and Tohru to both turn their heads in the direction of Kazuma's bed.

Kazuma was awake.

"Shi—!" Tohru started. Kyo cupped a hand over her mouth, bringing a finger to his lips, indicating that Tohru should be quiet. They both stared in awe as Kazuma slowly turned his head on the pillow, but he didn't open his eyes. Kyo and Tohru were grateful enough that he was finally conscious though.

"Should I get the doctor?" Tohru whispered. Kyo thought about it for a minute. He thought about how all of the nurses would come in with the doctor, and then he and Tohru would probably have to leave since the room would be too crowded, then he wouldn't be there when Kazuma actually opened his eyes. Kyo shook his head. "No, I think you should tell him once Shishou actually wakes up. Knowing doctors, he'll probably just wake him up or something and give him a bunch of stupid tests and everything … And he probably won't let us have a moment of peace with him, either." Tohru slowly nodded and turned back to Kazuma.

Kazuma seemed to gain more consciousness over the following hour. His breathing was more frequent, his heart beat was a little faster, and he turned and moved a little more in his bed. For Kyo, every minute droned by and felt like an hour. He couldn't wait for Kazuma to wake up. He wanted to know what happened.

"Should we call Kunimitsu-san and tell him that Shishou-san's conscious now?" Tohru asked Kyo after she finally finished her homework. Kyo didn't think that was such a bad idea, so he nodded. "Wait … Do you know his phone number?" he asked. Tohru shook her head. "No, I'm sorry Kyo-kun … I've never called his house before."

"Dammit," Kyo muttered under his breath. Tohru bit her lip, looking around the room as if Kunimitsu's phone number was written on the wall somewhere, then she thought of a way she could get it. "I know Kyo-kun! How about I ask the nurses if they have it, since he used to be a patient here?"

Kyo pondered this for a minute and then asked, "Why would they have his home phone number? No one lives with him, so it wasn't like they could have called anyone when he was here."

"Yes, you're right … But … Oh! They might have it to call him up now, to see how he's doing maybe?" Kyo gave this a thought too, and thought that it probably _was_ possible, so he nodded. "Okay, go check." Tohru jumped out of her seat, a smile on her face. "Okay Kyo-kun! I'll be right back!" She bent down and kissed Kyo on the cheek before she exited the room.

Kyo felt the heat rise up to his face, the same way it used to before they had even started dating.

Despite the whole incident, his feelings for her were still as strong. If not, even maybe stronger, being that she was so supportive.

Kyo leaned his elbow on the arm of his chair and rested his chin in his hand as he stared at Kazuma's sleeping form. Kazuma looked peaceful, and Kyo wondered if he was dreaming or not. What was he seeing? Was he aware of where he was? Did he remember what happened? Right at that moment, Kyo wanted nothing more than to wake Kazuma up; to talk to him, to see if he remembered anything. But most of all, Kyo wanted to just wake up from this nightmare … Until he realized that it was reality.

A few minutes later, Tohru entered the room, waving a piece of paper in her hand with the same smile on her face. "They had it, Kyo-kun!" She sat down in her chair and handed Kyo the piece of paper with a set of numbers scribbled on it. Kyo scanned the familiar telephone number and then he got up and walked over to the phone, which was set on Kazuma's side table. He punched in the numbers on the reciever and stuffed his free hand in his pocket as he listened to the ring of Kunimitsu's phone on the other end of the line. Finally, Kunimitsu answered, and he and Kyo began talking.

Tohru watched Kyo as he talked, a grin on her face. She admired how strong her boyfriend had been during Kazuma's stay at the hospital.

_I think I'll cook a nice, big meal for Kyo-kun once we get home. Then I'll treat him to something special! I don't know what that's going to be though, but Kyo-kun deserves it!_

"… Tohru-san?"

Tohru turned to the direction of the voice, only to see Kazuma facing her, his eyes barely open. Tohru's own eyes widened. "Shishou-san!"

Kyo dropped the phone. "What!"

"Oh … Kyo …" Kazuma said weakly as he tried to sit up and look at Kyo over the side of his bed. "You're here … too." He slowly dropped back down to the mattress and closed his eyes again. His voice was very hoarse and his lips were extremely chapped.

Kyo picked up the receiver he had dropped. "Shishou just woke up, we'll call you back later," he said quickly to Kunimitsu before hanging up. Tohru was already giving Kazuma some water when Kyo sat back down in his seat. He felt more relieved now, like an extremely heavy weight was lifted off of his shoulders. He even felt himself grinning a bit.

Kazuma released the tip of the straw he was drinking from. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, yearning to sleep, but also wanting to speak with Kyo and Tohru, so he put in the effort to opening his eyes to look at the two teenagers. "What … happened?" he asked them. "Why am I here?"

Tohru felt herself getting teary-eyed from happiness, but also for seeing Kazuma in the condition he was in. She dabbed her eyes with her sleeve as Kyo said, "The doctor said that you and Kunimitsu broke up a fight at a dojo and—"

"How is … Kunitmitsu?"

"He's fine … He went home a week ago."

"A … week? How … How long have I been here?"

"Two weeks … You don't remember anything that happened?" The look on Kazuma's face told Kyo right away that he didn't remember anything, causing Kyo to feel disappointed. He wanted to know what had happened, but he was grateful that Kazuma was now up.

"It's okay Shishou-san," Tohru said. "You'll eventually remember! Mom—" Tohru's face softened at the thought of Kyoko, being that she hadn't talk about her in a while "—always used to watch shows with people getting into all kinds of accidents, but they would eventually remember what happened, so I'm sure you will too!"

Kyo felt relieved at Tohru's words because of the determination she had used when she spoke, and the fact that Tohru never lied. She always knew what she was talking about.

Kazuma smiled faintly at Tohru and closed his eyes. "I'm … very tired," he said wearily. "I feel like … like I was hit … by something hard."

"Yeah, well, you'll feel better soon," Kyo said. "Hang in there, Shishou."

"Kyo-kun, should we tell the doctor now?"

"Tell the doctor ... what?" Kazuma inquired, his eyes now opened. "Tell the doctor that you're, uh, awake," Kyo told him. "That is, if you don't mind!" Tohru added.

"Oh … I don't mind," Kazuma said. Tohru nodded and looked at Kyo, who was staring at Kazuma. "Well, they'll come in and they'll probably wanna give you all these dumb tests and everything, and you probably won't get a moment of peace for a while … Are you sure?"

Kazuma nodded.

Kyo sighed and got up. He laid a hand on Tohru's shoulder. "I'll be right back," he said as he headed toward the door. Then, he walked out of the room.

Tohru and Kazuma both sat there, letting an awkward silence fill the room. Tohru played with the hem of her skirt and was distracted by it until she heard Kazuma's voice. "How has … Kyo been?" Tohru looked up and took in Kazuma's question. "Ah," she started, "Kyo-kun has been handling everything very well! We've been visiting Kunimitsu-san after we come here, and Kyo helps him with therapy. He's very strong!"

Kazuma didn't know whether or not Tohru meant by physically strong or emotionally strong, but he grinned at her and nodded. "Good … That's good … He always was."

"Yes," Tohru agreed, smiling. _I love him … I seem to love him more and more each day._

As if on cue, Kyo walked in, followed by Ichiro Tsutsumi and a few nurses. Tsutsumi looked satisfied when he saw that Kazuma was indeed up, and he searched through his clipboard before speaking. "Good afternoon, Sohma-san," he greeted Kazuma. "My name is Ichiro Tsutsumi, and I'm your doctor. My nurse staff and I have been monitoring you for the past two weeks, and I'm happy to see that you're finally making progress. Right now, I'm going to do some simple tests—" Kyo rolled his eyes "—to check your blood level and a few other things. After that, I'm open to any questions you might have."

Kazuma nodded. "Alright," he said hoarsely. Tsutsumi then turned to Kyo and Tohru. "I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "But I'm going to have to ask you two to leave. Visitors aren't allowed in the room while tests are in progress. But for a few tests, Sohma-san will have to be moved to the third floor, so you'll be able to join us down there momentarily." Tohru nodded. "Okay, that's no problem!" She took Kyo's hand in hers. "Bye Shishou-san, and good luck! We'll see you soon!" Kazuma waved weakly as Kyo and Tohru stepped out of the room.

"I told you," Kyo said icily when they were sitting in the visitor's lounge. Tohru was at one of the vending machines, picking out a snack for her and Kyo to share. She finally picked out a box of Chocolate Pocky, retrieved it from the machine, and sat down next to Kyo, who was slouched in his seat. "I know Kyo-kun," she said sincerely. "But these tests will be able to see if there's anything severely wrong with Shishou-san that they didn't notice when he first got submitted here, or if anything developed over the past two weeks. I'm sure they won't take that long, and I'm sure nothing will be wrong!" She opened the box of Pocky and divided the chocolate covered sticks, giving Kyo one half and leaving the rest for herself. Kyo stared down at the Pocky in his lap, suddenly realizing that Tohru was right, and that there was nothing to be worried about.

Fortunately, there was nothing else wrong with Kazuma. On the third floor he went through some X-Rays and additional tests, all coming back negative. Unfortunately for Kyo though, all of the test procedures took about four and a half hours. Waiting made Kyo want to rip out his hair.

Kazuma was able to go home ten days later, and was receiving therapy from Kunimitsu's therapist. Kunimitsu was able to visit Kazuma and he filled him in on what had happened, although Kazuma's mind was still blank.

"I don't understand," he said. "I just can't remember."

"I don't think it's an experience you'd want to remember, anyway," Kunimitsu stated.

What had happened was this: Kazuma was invited to a last-minute get together with his students, Kunimitsu, and a few other martial arts teachers at a dojo. Kazuma thought that Kyo, Tohru, Arisa, and Saki were all sleeping at the time—Kyo didn't know what could have given him that idea—so he left a note saying that he would be out for a few hours. Apparently Kazuma had forgotten to tear the note off of the pad he had written on, so that's why Kyo never found the note. About two hours into the get together, two students had a big argument that resulted in a fight not only with just punching and kicking, but with weapons as well. Kazuma and Kunimitsu didn't want anything serious to happen, so they tried to break up the fight, but got injured.

"And those guys didn't even bother visiting you two in the hospital?" Kyo demanded. "Nope," Kunimitsu answered. "Those bastards," Kyo said in disgust.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter is going to be drama-free and will have lots of fluff! I thought it was about time for a fluffy chapter. Once again, I'm really sorry about the lack of updating, so I guess I'm just going to be updating monthly now. I hope you all had a great holiday, and Happy New Year! See you all in January!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	15. A Night of Lights and Love

Hey everyone! I'm back sooner than I thought I would be with the fifteenth chapter. Thank you so much for all of the reviews for chapter fourteen! You guys are great! I actually just realized that I mentioned Tohru doing homework in the last chapter, even though she's on summer vacation, so I'll just say that teachers gave her some homework over the break. Also, I make a reference to yen in this chapter, so just think of it as about $35 USD (U.S. dollars). Please enjoy this chapter!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: A Night of Lights and Love  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

Stars are out tonight

-

And you're the brightest one shining in my sky

-

It's like every wish I ever made came true

-

The day I woke up lying next to you

- _I.O.U. One Galaxy_ by the Ataris

"What would you two like for dinner?" Tohru asked while she and Kyo were helping Kazuma with therapy. Kazuma had been home for a week and a half and had just started therapy on his legs at the beginning of the week. He would do simple things like lift up his legs while weights sat on his ankles and walk along a line of tape, all to help him with balance while walking. Kyo and Tohru always evaluated him and helped him when he needed it.

"Hm …" Kazuma gave Tohru's question a thought. "How about leeks?" he suggested, smirking at Kyo. Kyo fade a disgusted face. "You know I hate leeks!" Laughing, Kazuma shook his head at a bewildered Tohru. "Anything will be fine for me."

"I can make you leeks if you'd like, Shishou-san!" she said. "I can make Kyo-kun something different!" Kazuma shook his head again. "No, no, that's alright. I don't want you to work too hard on just making dinner. Just make something simple tonight, like natto and rice. That sounds good."

"Okay!" Tohru replied happily. She lookedat Kyo. "Would you like natto and rice too, Kyo-kun?" Kyo nodded. "That's fine, I don't care … Just as long as there aren't any leeks in it." Nodding, Tohru left the sitting room and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Kazuma resumed to doing his leg exercises, Kyo watching him. They both sat in silence, listening to the pitter patter of the rain gently hitting the ground outside, since the window was open. It was August now and it had been raining all week, for the weather seemed to be hot and humid all throughout the end of July and into the beginning of August.

"Kyo, may I ask you a question?" Kazuma asked after he finished a set of leg stretches. Kyo nodded. "How long has it been since you took Tohru-san out?" Kyo sat up straight and stared at Kazuma, thinking. He and Tohru really hadn't done anything since early July, which was a month ago. While Kazuma and Kunimitsu were in the hospital, it was kind of hard to squeeze in a date anywhere. "I … The beginning of July," Kyo replied. Saying this made him feel like he had been a horrible boyfriend to Tohru. Kazuma nodded and looked up at the ceiling with a thoughtful look on his face. "Well," he started. "Why don't you take her somewhere this weekend? Tohru-san's summer break is almost over … You two should try to do as much as possible while you still can."

"Well, where should I take her?"

"I saw an advertisement for a carnival by the park the other day. Why not take her there?"

"With what money?"

"Don't worry about that, I'll lend you some money."

Kyo shrugged. "I don't know … Tohru probably won't be up to it …"

"What are you talking about?" Kazuma laughed. "Tohru-san's always up to anything. I'm sure she'd like going to the carnival very much."

Kyo sighed, clearly agreeing to take Tohru to the carnival, and then shuffled off to the kitchen to ask her. Despite the fact that they were boyfriend and girlfriend, he still found it hard to ask her on a date. It began to feel like that day in early July all over again, the day he asked her on their first date.

Tohru was at the counter, mixing up rice in a bowl to settle on the stove. Kyo leaned against the doorframe, watching her prepare the rice with a smile on her face, humming. He grinned, for he always enjoyed watching her do the simplest tasks, partially because she always did it with such grace, another reason because he thought it was adorable when she talked to herself or made a mistake. Kyo cleared his throat to let Tohru know he was there, and she turned around, slightly startled.

"Oh, Kyo-kun!" she said with delight. "I didn't even notice you were there!" She placed down the bowl gently onto the counter and walked over to him, '_tup tup tup_'—Kyo loved the cute little sound she made when she walked—and gave him a big hug. Kyo felt like melting when he felt her lean her head against his chest. It felt like he hadn't held her like that in a million years, and all of the same wonderful sensations came flooding back to him again.

He kissed her on the forehead before letting her go. He took her hands in him and Tohru began swinging the back and forth, slowly, giggling. Kyo just couldn't help but smile, but then he remembered to ask her on that date.

"Hey," he started. "I was wondering … We haven't done anything together in a while, so … I mean, only if you want to … Do you wanna go to this carnival on Saturday night? If you don't wanna go, I understand, but we can always find somewhere else to go and—"

"I'd love to, Kyo-kun!" Tohru squealed. "I love carnivals! I haven't been to one since I was really little!" She threw her arms around Kyo's neck and gave him another big hug. "Thank you for asking me!" Kyo returned her embrace once again, resting his head on hers. "Geez, your welcome, but you don't have to thank me."

"But I'm just so happy Kyo-kun! Doing things with you is always fun for me!" Kyo began to stroke Tohru's head, feeling like the luckiest guy in the world.

Saturday came relatively slow, for Tohru and Kyo both waited anxiously to go on their date. They were going to the carnival at seven-thirty, and the carnival was located in the parking lot of a big shopping center. There was going to be the traditional carnival necessities: popcorn machines, cotton candy vendors, games where you can win anything from a goldfish-in-a-bag to an oversized stuffed animal, and rides and rides galore. Tohru's favorite ride was the Ferris wheel, which Kyo promised her they would go on. Kyo liked high places, so it really wasn't a problem for him.

At seven o'clock Tohru was finished getting ready for the date, and Kyo was downstairs waiting for her. Kazuma had given him around four thousand yen to spend on tickets, snacks, and games, and maybe ice cream if they wanted some on their way home.

When Tohru came downstairs, Kyo couldn't help but gape at her.

She looked radiant. Her hair was done the way it always usually was—half up and half own, or tied with two bows on each side of her head, but in this case it was half up and half down—and she had some make up on. She wore a light pink dress with a belt around her waist that was tied into a bow in the back, and matching sandals, and her outfit was completed with a white purse. The little mascara she had on brought out the color of her brown eyes more, and the light tint of blush on her cheeks gave her a rosy complexion, making her look like a beautiful porcelain doll.

Kyo couldn't help but stare a little longer until her realized that Tohru's face was as red as a beet. He tried to find the words to tell her how beautiful he thought she looked, but they didn't come out too smoothly.

"You look … Really … b—" Tohru brought her hands up to her face. "D-did I put too much makeup on!"

"No … No! That's not it, you look—"

"Is the dress too much?"

"No, Tohru, listen to me! I think you look … b-beautiful. You really do."

Tohru's hands dropped from her face in embarrassment. She laughed nervously. "Oh, I'm sorry Kyo-kun … T-Thank you! I … I thought you were going to say that I looked bad …" Kyo took a step closer to Tohru, taking one of her hands in his. "Are you kidding me? You never look bad …" He dipped his head down and kissed her gently, then the two left the house for the carnival.

It was a cool, late summer evening. The bright orange sun was slowly setting, leaving the sky colors such as orange, pink, and purple. The trees were still and the streets were empty. Everything seemed perfect.

Tohru grew more and more excited as she and Kyo got closer to the carnival. From the sidewalk she could see the Ferris wheel, and she squeezed Kyo's hand. "I can see the carnival, Kyo-kun! It looks so nice!"

Luckily for them, the carnival wasn't that busy, but Kyo thought the crowd would get larger as it got later into the evening. He bought Tohru and him their tickets, ignoring Tohru when she said she would pay for her own, and they made their way into the carnival.

The carnival was filled with vendors, all types of games, and rides that had screaming people on them. Tohru's eyes lit up as she saw all of the lights and the fun everyone seemed to be having, which made Kyo happy. He loved to see Tohru happy.

"What do you wanna do first?" he asked her. Tohru squeezed his hand again, scanning the carnival. "Wow, there's so much I'd like to do! I can't choose!"

"Wanna start off with a game?" Kyo suggested. He saw Tohru eyeing a reasonable sized stuffed cat that was on a shelf at one of the games and thought that she would really appreciate it if he won it for her. Tohru smiled and nodded and Kyo lead her over to that game, one where you have to shoot water at a target and get a stuffed animal to the top before you opponents, and they were just in time for the game to start. Kyo asked the vendor what it would take for him to win the stuffed feline, and the vendor told him he had to come in first place three times. "Not a problem," Kyo mumbled to himself when he saw who he would be playing against: a little girl who could barely reach the water gun, an overweight preteen boy, and another little kid. Kyo knew he would win for sure.

After Kyo paid the vendor he took a hold of his water gun and starting spraying his target when a buzzer went off and music began playing. He won as predicted and received applause from Tohru. During the second round the overweight boy almost beat him, but Kyo luckily won when the boy accidentally dropped his water gun. Kyo won the third round and the vendor gave him the cat. As he was about to hand it to Tohru, the little girl who had played and could barely reach the gun began to cry to her mother.

"Mommy!" she wailed, tugging on her mother's skirt. "I want the kitty! I want it! I want it!"

"Takara-chan," the girl's mother said soothingly. "I'll buy you a stuffed animal at the toy store tomorrow, okay? The cat belongs to that boy." Takara stomped her feet in anger and went into hysterics. "No! I want _that_ one!" She pointed to the cat that Kyo was holding. As her crying continued, Kyo turned to Tohru, who was looking at Takara. Smiling, Tohru turned to Kyo. "Kyo-kun, I think you should give the cat to the little girl."

"But I won it for _you_," Kyo protested, even though he knew the right thing to do was to give it to the little girl. Tohru still smiled at him. Kyo turned to the little girl, who was still crying to her mother, and walked over to her with Tohru. "Here," Kyo said, bending down and handing the little girl the stuffed animal. "You can have it!" Tohru said cheerfully. "I'm seventeen, I don't really need a stuffed animal," she added with a laugh. The little girl stopped crying and stared at the toy in her hands and then a large smile spread across her face. "Mommy, look!" she cried in happiness, turning to her mother as she waved the stuffed cat. "I got the kitty!"

"That's very nice, Takara-chan!" Takara's mother said, relieved that her daughter stopped crying. She mouthed a thank you to Kyo and Tohru as she took Takara's hand and led her to one of the rides. Kyo sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, kicking some dirt that was on the ground. "Sorry you didn't get to keep the cat …"

"No, Kyo-kun!" Tohru protested, linking her arm with his. "Don't be sorry! I was happy to give it to the little girl. She seemed to want in a lot!" Tohru flashed one of her heart melting smiles, and Kyo couldn't help but grin back as the blood rushed to his face.

"What do you wanna do now?" he asked her. "Do you want me to win you another cat?" Although Kyo was serious, Tohru let out a giggle, but shook her head. "No, that's okay Kyo-kun! How about we go on a ride now? Or, we can do whatever you would like to do!"

Tohru and Kyo ended up going on a ride—one that Kyo didn't pick, and normally wouldn't want to go on: the Tunnel of Love.

When Tohru had seen it, she immediately wanted to go on it. "Oh, it looks so nice!" she exclaimed. While she had pointed to it, beaming, Kyo couldn't help but think how adorableshe was, and he couldn't say no. In fact, he didn't even say anything. He just nodded and shrugged and let Tohru lead him to the line. Not that there was a line, anyway.

When Kyo and Tohru got to the dock, they gave two tickets each to the man who ran the ride and then they were seated in a little boat. The boat was tied to the dock but was then untied once they were settled in, and it drifted away and flowed with the current of the water, which lead into a dimly lit tunnel.

Inside the tunnel the walls were red and it was very cool. There were hearts hanging from the ceiling and soft, soothing music. There were doves that flew in an enclosed area, possibly so they would fly out of the tunnel, and the bank of water the little boat was floating down was lined with all different colors of roses. Tohru sighed romantically, her hands clasped over her chest.

"This is so wonderful, Kyo-kun," Tohru whispered. Kyo wrapped his arm around her and brought her as close to him as possible. Under the dim lights, Tohru looked absolutely stunning, and probably the most beautiful person Kyo had ever seen. Being with her there in the Tunnel of Love, all on their own, sitting as close as they were … It was like a dream. Everything was too good to be true. Right then and there, Kyo knew that absolutely nothing and no one could ever take Tohru away from him. He wouldn't let them. She was too important and too precious for him to lose.

Kyo felt Tohru nuzzle her face on his shoulder. Just the feeling of knowing that she felt the same way he did was truly amazing. It always sent thrills through his body whenever she would say his name, smile at him, or even look at him the way she did. She just had an effect on him that made him weak and soft, but it was welcome when it came to her.

"I love you," Kyo exhaled. Tohru lifted her head off of Kyo's shoulder and stared into his eyes, and Kyo stared back. They both felt like they could see into the other's souls, like eyes truly _were_ the window to one's soul. "I love you too," Tohru whispered, a dainty smile on her face. Kyo leaned in and kissed her and Tohru kissed him back. The kiss deepened as the little boat went further down the stream of water to the end of the ride.

Kyo and Tohru both blushed when they realized that the man who ran the ride caught a glimpse of their kiss. Although he didn't say anything about it, he was eying them with a smirk on his face as they walked off the ride, Tohru thanking him.

Their hands intertwined, Kyo and Tohru walked around the carnival. Kyo bought Tohru a balloon, along with a few snacks. They went on a few more rides, saving the Ferris wheel for last, before they decided to leave since it was almost midnight.

As they walked up the walkway to the door of their home, Tohru gave Kyo's hand a gentle squeeze. He looked over at her. "Kyo-kun, I had such a fun time tonight," she said sweetly. "Thank you so much for taking me!"

"You don't have to thank me," he told her, taking her other hand in his. "I'm your boyfriend, I'm supposed to take you out. And I _want_ to … You deserve it more than anyone."

Kyo opened the door to the house to find all of the lights off, except for the kitchen one. Both he and Tohru went into the kitchen and spotted a note taped to the refrigerator. Kyo ripped it off and scanned the semi-neat handwriting.

_Kyo, Tohru –_

_Kunimitsu came by today (he can finally drive!) and picked me up and took me to his place. I hope you find this note this time, and I hope you two had a fun night. I'll be back later._

– _Shishou_

"Shishou's at Kunimitsu's," Kyo told Tohru. He handed her the note and she scanned it as well, her eyes lighting up when she read that Kunimitsu could drive. "Oh, Kunimitsu-san can drive now! That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Yeah, that's pretty good progress for him, I guess," Kyo replied.

The two stood there in the kitchen for a few moments, both staring at the floor. Kyo was trying to think of things they could do if Tohru didn't want to go to sleep yet, but then suggested that they go upstairs, and Tohru agreed.

When they both got upstairs and reached Tohru's room, Tohru opened the door and stood in the doorway for a moment. She then turned to Kyo. "Would you like to come in?" she asked him innocently. Kyo raised his eyebrows in shock at her question, but found himself nodding as he followed Tohru into her room.

Kyo hadn't been in Tohru's room a lot, just on occasions when he needed to tell her something. He respected her privacy one hundred percent and wasn't like other guys who would insist on going in a girls' room just so he could get her in bed. Unlike other guys, Kyo was completely nervous.

Tohru sat on her bed and smiled at Kyo. Her hands were laced in her lap and she looked around, looking for something they could do. Kyo sat down next to her.

Neither of them knew what had happened, but before they knew it, they were both kissing and Kyo and gently leaned Tohru into the bed. Followed by that was a night of caresses, whispers, kissing, and embraces that all resulted in Tohru falling asleep in Kyo's arms. To them, the rest of them world didn't seem to matter, or even exist.

All that mattered to them was that they had each other, and that they were together.

* * *

Aww, lots of fluff! I hope I didn't make it _too_ cheesy. Thank you so much for reading, especially if you've been following ever since I started writing this story in July. It makes me feel really good that I have anxious readers awaiting my new chapters all of the time! I'll probably be back with an update next month, so stay tuned! But, to give you all an advance warning, the drama's going to come back … Sorry about that!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	16. Is This Really Goodbye?

Oh, wow! Hi everyone! I'm back much sooner than I thought I would be! This chapter is **extremely **long though … Think of it as two chapters put into one. In this chapter, I mention Tohru's uncle, who appeared in volume one (he was the man wearing the glasses when Tohru went back to her grandpa's), and I give him a name, since it wasn't mentioned in the manga (or at least I don't think it was). Also, at one point in this chapter, when everyone's having breakfast, they have domburi, somen, and miso soup. I'm sure you all know what somen and miso soup are, since they've been mentioned in the manga several times, but domburi is basically rice with different types of toppings. Thank you all so much for the reviews! I get so excited with the feedback I get, and I guess since it all came so quickly, it motivated me to write this chapter as quickly as I could. I got carried away though, but I just added so much detail to the emotions and everything. I hope I didn't go overboard! I also had no school yesterday (January 24th) and today (January 25th) because testing is being done at all of the high schools this week here in New York, and I didn't have to take any (I take them in June), so I spent my time off by writing this chapter (and going to track practice, too). So, I hope you all like this chapter, and try not to kill me!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: Is This Really Goodbye?  
Summary: Tohru Honda's mother and Kyo Sohma's father have been friends for thirty years and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

Please don't leave me without saying goodbye

-

Without saying goodbye

-

Please don't leave me without saying goodbye

-

Without saying goodbye

-

Let's travel back in time

- _Leaving_ by the Starting Line

In the morning, Kyo woke to sunlight spilling into the room. He was about to get up before he felt extra weight on him and looked down to see Tohru soundly sleeping with her head on his chest. So it _wasn't_ a dream … Kyo had really fallen asleep with Tohru; he wasn't imagining it. Deciding to stay in bed for a little more, Kyo began to stroke Tohru's hair and stared down at her smiling, sleeping form. Outside he could hear the gentle sound of the late summer wind, which almost seemed to be in sync with Tohru's breathing. Kyo wondered what she could be dreaming of that put that smile on her face that she had, and he couldn't help but hope that it was him. For Kyo, Tohru was the one and only thing he ever dreamt about.

Kyo lifted up his head and looked out the window. The sky was a breathtaking blue with dollops of puffy white clouds. There were birds perched on the branches of the tree adjacent to Tohru's bedroom window, and on the tree were little Sakura blossoms. The world outside was happy and peaceful and to Kyo, the only way it _could_ be like that was if Tohru was with him. Without her, there would be a dark, gloomy grey cloud hanging above his head for the rest of his life.

Tohru stirred against Kyo's chest, causing him to turn his attention to her. "Kyo-kun?" Tohru yawned, rubbing her eyes with one hand as she tried to stifle her yawns with the other. Kyo patted her head, signaling that he was there and that he was awake. "Hey," he whispered. Tohru looked up at him and smiled. "Good morning," she said happily, even though she still didn't seem completely out of sleep just yet. She sat up and let Kyo plant a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Morning," he replied. Tohru settled herself right by Kyo's side, leaning her head on his shoulder as she tried to rub off the remainder of her sleep. "How did you sleep?" she asked him. Kyo scratched the back of his head. "Pretty good."

"Would you like me to make breakfast?" Tohru inquired as she stretched out her arms. Kyo shrugged. "Only if you're up to it. I'll help."

"Oh, thank you Kyo-kun!" she exclaimed. Kyo's answer seemed to make her really happy, and now she didn't look tired at all. She jumped out of bed and took Kyo's hand, pulling him out of bed as well. Kyo found himself chuckling at her enthusiasm. "All this because I'm helping you make breakfast?" After they night they had, he couldn't help but feel anything but wonderful.

"Oh, I love help in the kitchen!" Tohru replied happily. "It's so much fun!"

As they entered the kitchen, Kyo caught a glimpse of the clock: twelve-fifteen. Normally, he would kick himself in the face for waking up that late, because that would mean that he would have less time training, but he let it go today; it was worth it. If Kyo had the choice of spending every night with Tohru like that, he wouldn't pass up any chance.

"What are we having for breakfast?" Kyo asked, opening up the cabinets, peering inside each one. Tohru was going through the other cabinets, taking out the needed utensils and bowls to prepare the meal. "Grilled fish, if that's okay! I thought that would be good since it's almost lunchtime, too." Kyo closed the cabinet he had opened and went over to the refrigerator to retrieve the fish from the freezer.

Tohru was right: making breakfast _was_ fun. Kyo and Tohru had a lot of laughs, especially when Tohru had dropped the bowl with all of the seasoning and it landed all over her bare feet. It took over an hour to prepare the meal, and it didn't turn out so well, being that Kyo and Tohru fooled around most of the time, but they ate it regardless.

"That was disgusting," Kyo laughed as he helped Tohru clean up the table. Tohru giggled as she wiped her hands with a dishtowel. "Oh … I thought it was … very good!" Tohru stated. Kyo looked at her oddly and they both laughed.

At two o'clock Tohru began doing the laundry and Kyo went outside to train. Kazuma had gone to Kunimitu's early in the morning and left a note on the door for Tohru and Kyo. He arrived back home at three o'clock and came inside with the mail in hand.

"Kyo, Tohru-san! I'm back!" he called. Tohru was folding laundry outside in the back and poked her head through the back door when she heard Kazuma. "Oh, hello Shishou-san!" she greeted him. She gently folded one of Kyo's T-shirts and went inside. "Kyo-kun and I found your note! How was Kunimitu-san's?"

"Hello Tohru-san," Kauzma greeted back in reply. "I had a very good time, thank you. He picked me up this morning and took me to his place and we had lunch and he helped me with therapy. How was your night with Kyo?"

Tohru froze.

"Eh? M-My night!" Kazuma nodded and laughed. "Yes, your night at the carnival … Did you two have fun?" Tohru sighed in relief and managed to smile. "Oh, yes! It was very fun!"

"Good, that's good … Where's Kyo right now?"

"He's outside training. He says that he'd like to start going to the dojo when I go back to school."

"Ah, that's good. I think I'll go outside and see how he's doing, maybe help him out a bit." Kazuma made his way over to the back door, but then stopped and turned around again, fumbling through the mail. He took a small envelope from the pile and held it out to Tohru. "I almost forgot," he said as Tohru hesitantly took the letter from his hand. Tohru stared at the address that was written at the top corner of the envelope as Kazuma stepped outside.

It was from her family.

What could they possibly want?

Tohru went upstairs to her bedroom and sat at her desk, nervous about opening the letter. She knew that her father's family couldn't stand Kyoko, and they didn't really like her, so they obviously weren't writing to see how she was doing.

They hadn't even gone to Kyoko's funeral. They only dropped off Tohru's grandfather and picked him up without even knocking on the door … They just honked the horn.

Holding her breath, Tohru delicately opened the envelope. Inside was a thin piece of paper that was folded three times with a short message on it, written by her uncle. Tohru read it to herself, her eyes widening. She had to read it four times before finally understanding it.

_Tohru –_

_We have come to the conclusion that it would be better off for you to live with us rather than in your current residence. Being that I would like to be a police man, I had a detective look into your history because if I have any relatives with unclean records, that may prevent me from pursuing my job. The detective looked into your status and said that you were living with two unmarried men. When I found out about this I immediately had arrangements made to take you from your current household to ours. If you haven't heard, we've moved to Kumamoto about three months ago, so it's arranged for a cab to go to your house and pick you up to take you to the airport so you can fly out here. The cab is coming Tuesday, August 30th at around 2:00 P.M., and your flight is at 6:00 P.M., so you should arrive here by 9:30 P.M. Grandpa is looking forward to seeing you. If we find out that you decided not to come, we'll come up there and pick you up ourselves. We haven't seen you in a while, so we think it would be better off for you to be with your family rather than two strangers._

_See you soon,_

_Kenji_

Tears began to stream down Tohru's face. Move to Kumamoto? That was on the other side of the country! And Kyo and Kazuma weren't strangers … They were her family now. And moving to Kumamoto would mean …

Tohru couldn't think about that part.

Tokyo was her home though! She grew up there. Everyone she loved dearly lived there. But, her uncle _did_ sound certain in his letter. If Tohru refused to go, he would travel up there himself and get her … All of this, just for a job.

Tohru folded up the letter and placed it on her desk. She tried to hold back her tears, knowing that she had to go. Her family was insisting on it, and if she refused to go at all they could possibly stir up trouble, and she didn't want that for Kazuma and Kyo.

_Kyo-kun …_

But she would have to leave Kyo.

Now sobbing, Tohru folded her arms on her desk and buried her face in them. She began to sob silently, thinking about all of her memories with Kyo. The day they met, the first time they cooked a meal together, all of those nights they would go to the movies and out to dinner with their parents, the trip to Paris, Kyo scaring off those French boys at the restaurant, the time he held her when Kyoko died, their first date, their first kiss … Those wonderful memories could go on forever. But now, seeing as her family was making her leave, she wouldn't be able to create anymore memories with him ever again.

All those days and moments filled with happiness … They wouldn't be able to share that anymore. Things would be different … It would be hard to maintain a long-distance relationship … But what if Kyo fell in love with another girl? That would break Tohru's heart.

Slowly, Tohru got up from her seat at her desk. She took the letter in her head, preparing to tell Kazuma. Kazuma had a right to know, for he was her guardian, but Kyo, on the other hand, would be hard to tell. Tohru didn't know if she would have the heart to tell him that horrible news … His reaction would definitely bring her to tears.

Outside, Kyo threw punches and kicks at the air with Kazuma guiding him verbally. "Ah, that's good that you didn't seem to lose your touch over these two months," Kazuma commented. Kyo stopped his exercises and was panting, due to the hot air. Even though it was the end of August, it was still very hot out. Kazuma handed Kyo a towel to wipe the sweat off his body.

"Yeah, I guess," Kyo replied. "I just feel … Sore, I guess, when I kick."

"Don't worry about that," said Kazuma. "With some stretching and a little more working out, it'll feel better."

Tohru but her lip as she headed over to the back door. Should she really give Kazuma the letter now, or wait until after dinner when she could be alone with him so Kyo wouldn't have to hear the news right away? Yes, that seemed like a good idea … Maybe Kazuma would be able to straighten things out and make it so that she wouldn't have to leave, therefore Kyo wouldn't have to be told anything at all.

All throughout dinner—Tohru prepared large dishes of domburi, somen, and miso soup. Cooking always took her mind off of things, so she took her time making dinner—Tohru was quiet. She picked at her somen with her chopsticks, twirling the noodles around the utensil continuously. Kazuma and Kyo both noticed her lack of talking, and they were both concerned.

"What's wrong?" Kyo asked her. He knew that when Tohru was quiet, something was up, for she was always talking cheerfully at dinner, asking everyone how their day was. Tohru looked up from her meal and shook her head, apologizing. "Oh, nothing's wrong Kyo-kun," she lied. "I was just … Thinking about going back to school. I'm really going to miss summer vacation … I had so much fun! I'm sorry for making you worried." Kyo's cheeks turned pink as he thought about the summer they had together, then he shook his head as well. "Pfft, don't be sorry about that," he said. "You have a right to be … I bet school's real boring, right?"

"Oh, no! School can be quite fun! Uo-chan, Hana-chan, and I always have a lot of fun together in class!"

_Uo-chan … Hana-chan … I won't be able to see them anymore, either … I won't be able to go to Kaibara anymore!_

Trying to hold back that tears that were filling her eyes, Tohru quickly bowed her head and excused herself from the table. "Oh, um, p-please excuse me!" she said. "I have to … use the bathroom!" She got up and hurried out of the dining area, wiping her eyes.

She felt horrible for keeping this news from them, but she didn't have the heart to tell them.

Tohru quickly went into the bathroom and shut the door. She sat down on the floor in front of the sink and brought her knees to her chest. She buried her face in her knees and let out silent sobs.

Why did this have to happen? Everyone here in Tokyo was so dear to her … She couldn't bear to leave them! After a few minutes of quietly crying it out, Tohru stood up and looked herself in the mirror. Her face was blotchy and red, and there were tears running down her face. She quickly washed her face, feeling a little more refreshed. Then there was then a knock at the door.

"Tohru?" Kyo said quietly. Tohru could hear Kyo press his head against the door. "Are you alright? Something's wrong, I can tell. Just tell me … You know you can tell me your problems."

_Kyo-kun …_

Tohru took once last glance of herself in the mirror, making sure it didn't look like she was crying, then she dried her face and hands and opened the door. She smiled sweetly at Kyo as she stepped out of the bathroom. "I'm okay, Kyo-kun," she said. She looked up at him and saw the concern that filled his eyes and her stomach began to churn. She knew she would have to tell him sooner or later … She just thought it would be better to tell Kazuma first.

Kyo stared back at her, one eyebrow raised, then sighed. "Okay … I'll take your word for it. But if anything's wrong, tell me, okay? You know I'll help you no matter what."

_Thank you, Kyo-kun … I love you so much!_

Later on in the evening, after Kyo helped Tohru clean up dinner and everyone was getting settled for bed, Tohru figured it was the best time to talk to Kazuma about the letter she received from her uncle. While Kyo was upstairs in his room, Kazuma was downstairs watching the news on television. Tohru hesitantly entered the sitting room with the letter in hand. Kazuma saw her walk in and smiled. "Hello, Tohru-san," he said. Tohru smiled weakly and bowed. "Hello, Shishou-san."

"What can I do for you?" Tohru walked over to him and held out the letter. "Ah … This is the letter I got today. It's from my uncle … " Kazuma took the letter from Tohru, unfolded it, and read it. His eyes widened and the expression on his face grew serious. When he finished the letter he placed it in his lap and looked down at the floor, exhaling a sharp breath. "Oh, my … Tohru-san, I'm very sorry …" He looked up at Tohru and saw that her head was bowed down, and he could see the tears running down her face. "I … want to stay here … with you and Kyo-kun," she croaked. "I can't do that to Kyo-kun … Or myself. I have to … I have to stay with him. I want him to be happy …"

Kazuma stayed silent. He was at loss for words, only feeling upset about the situation at his feet. The house was a brighter place because of Tohru. She always made everyone happy, and she was so helpful. She was last thing Kazuma had that had to do with Kyoko, other than old photographs and memories. And Kyo … Tohru changed Kyo's life in so many ways. Kazuma can't remember one time he smiled or laughed before he met Tohru. It sure would be hard to live without her … And to even imagine life without her.

Kazuma took a step toward Tohru, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Tohru lifted up her head, her eyes red and puffy. She had a look of distress on her face, something Kazuma hadn't seen from her since February, when Kyoko died. "We'll try to find a way for you to stay," he said softly. "But if it's what your family wishes …"—Kazuma found it hard to say this—"… then I think it's best that you live with them. They _are_ your family …" Tohru's sobs became more frequent at Kazuma's words. Kazuma pulled Tohru into an embrace, resting a hand on her head. During the six months that Tohru had lived in his home, Kazuma grew to love her as a daughter.

"Can you please tell Kyo-kun for me?" Tohru inquired, sniffling. "I … It would hurt me too much to see his reaction …"

"Don't worry, I'll tell him tomorrow morning," Kazuma said. He let Tohru go and handed her the letter. "Go to sleep and get some rest now. It's getting late, and you seem to be very exhausted." Tohru nodded and bade Kazuma goodnight, then went upstairs to say goodnight to Kyo. Kazuma then sat back down and stared at the ground.

Telling this news to Kyo wouldn't be easy, that's for sure.

The next morning, Tohru woke up with a terrible headache. She groggily climbed out of bed and took a quick shower, then she went downstairs to prepare breakfast after she got dressed. She made a mental note of things she had to get done that day, including telling Arisa and Saki the news.

That would be hard, too.

As Tohru was mixing ingredients together, she heard someone coming down the stairs. Figuring it would be Kyo, Tohru got herself together and wiped her eyes free of any tears that might have been forming.

"Good morning, Tohru-san."

Tohru turned around to see Kazuma standing in the doorway. He had a gentle smile on his face and he looked rather tired from waking up at that hour. It was six-thirty in the morning, and Kazuma normally woke up around eleven o'clock. Kyo was usually the one waking up at this hour.

"Oh, good morning Shishou-san!" Tohru greeted him, putting a smile on her face. She turned back to mixing the bowl of ingredients, then thought about asking Kazuma for permission to visit Arisa and Saki to tell them the news. "Shishou-san?"

"Yes?"

"M-May I go visit Uo-chan and Hana-chan today? To tell them the news?"

"Of course you may," Kazuma said. "While you're out, I can tell Kyo. That is, if you'd rather have me tell him while you're here, I can always do that."

"Oh, no Shishou-san! I think it would be better off if you told him while I was out …"

Kyo came downstairs a few minutes after Kazuma and Tohru's discussion. Kazuma left him and Tohru alone, and Kyo helped Tohru make breakfast again.

"You seem better today," he told her as they set the table. Tohru smiled. "You're right Kyo-kun! I feel better, too."

Actually, Tohru felt worse.

After breakfast, Tohru phoned Arisa and Saki and they all agreed on going to Saki's house at noon. Tohru told them she had something important to discuss, and Arisa jumped into conclusions that it had to do with Kyo taking advantage of her. Laughing nervously, Tohru assured her that it wasn't.

At eleven-thirty Kyo walked Tohru to Saki's house. Tohru explained to him that they had invited her over for an end of the summer get together, so Kyo thought he'd work on his training while she was out. When he got back to the house, however, Kazuma was waiting for him in the sitting room.

"Kyo?" Kazuma called loudly when he heard the door open. "Can you come here for a minute? I need to talk to you about something." He closed his eyes and sighed as he heard Kyo's footsteps heading in his direction. Kyo entered the sitting room, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "What's up, Shishou?" he asked as he entered the room. "Is everything okay?" Without saying a word, Kazuma handed Kyo the letter from Tohru's uncle. Bewildered, Kyo took it and began to read it. When he finished, the expression on his face was of pure shock.

"W-What?"

"Kyo, before you get upset—"

"This is bullshit! There's no reason why she should live with them!"

"Kyo, if you'd let me explain—"

"Explain what? There's nothing _to_ explain! They just want custody of her for what … Some guy's stupid job? They probably just want the money her mom left her!"

"I don't think they would stoop that low—"

"How do you know? You don't even know 'em!"

"Kyo, you shouldn't judge people … _You _don't know them, either."

"Whatever! Fuck this!"

At his last words, Kyo threw down the letter and charged out of the sitting room and towards the front door. There was no way he expected to come home to news like this.

Kazuma didn't even try to stop him; he knew Kyo wouldn't listen. Besides, he understood it was going to be hard for him.

Once outside, Kyo ran hard. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't care. He just wanted to run as far away as he could from everything … To get away from it all.

Then Tohru's smiling face appeared in his head.

_I won't let them … I won't let them take her away from me._

_They can't! She means too much to me … She's everything to me._

_I didn't have any reason to be happy before I met her. She gives me a reason to smile … A reason to live. What do I have to live for if she's not with me?_

Kyo found himself by the lake where he and Tohru used to sit together every night, just holding each other. He leaned against the trunk of a tree, bringing a hand to his face. He tried to hold back the tears. He tried to not feel weak, but it was no use. He was going to lose Tohru. What if she fell in love with another guy while living in Kumamoto? That would make her entirely forget about him.

No, Kyo didn't want that.

What did he do to deserve this?

Sliding down against the tree's bark, Kyo slumped onto the ground and leaned his head back against the tree. He inhaled sharply and tried to calm down, but the thought of not being with Tohru kept lingering in his mind. He closed his eyes tightly and the tears leaked out helplessly.

_Tohru …_

"Oh, Tohru …"

At around five o'clock, Tohru returned home from her 'get together' with Arisa and Saki. Arisa and Saki took the news a little better than Tohru expected, but they cried for a long time. Tohru promised that she would write them, and they all agreed upon visiting each other whenever they could. Arisa and Saki were concerned for Kyo, though.

"How's Carrot Top gonna take it?" Arisa had asked after she had a good cry. "By the looks of it, with that temper of his, not too well."

"I can imagine it will be very hard for him," Saki acknowledge, wiping a tear from her eye. "His waves are always so strong around her … I can almost actually _feel_ how much he loves her … And it's a lot."

_I guess Shishou-san must have told Kyo-kun already_, Tohru thought as she stepped inside the house. Everything was quiet; her footsteps echoed as she walked along the floor to the kitchen. She peeked inside and there was no one there. There weren't any notes around the house either, so Tohru concluded that Kazuma was somewhere. She checked the sitting room but found it to be empty, so then she tried outside in the back.

Sure enough, Kazuma was outside in the back, sitting in a chair that faced a bed of flowers. Tohru had planted those flowers in the springtime, and they seemed to last all throughout the summertime. Tohru's theory with flowers was always to just treat them like people, and they'll last for a long time.

But as she got a closer look at them, they seemed to be withering away.

"Sh-Shishou-san?" Kazuma turned his head at the sound of his name and when he saw Tohru he grinned. "Hello Tohru-san," he said. He turned his back to the direction of the flowerbed. "How did your friends take the news?"

"They took it better than I expected," Tohru said as she walked over to Kazuma. She stood next to the chair he was sitting in. "We agreed on writing to each other and we're going to visit each other every chance we get!" Kazuma grinned and nodded. "That's good."

Tohru and Kazuma both let the silence take over. Tohru knew what she wanted to ask Kazuma, but she was afraid to hear what he would say.

"I told him," Kazuma said in a slightly monotone voice. "He … Didn't take it too well. He ran off and he's been gone ever since." Biting her lip, Tohru turned on her heel and ran in the direction of the house. Kazuma stood suddenly, following her, only not running. "Tohru-san, where are you going?"

"I-I'm going to find him!" she squeaked. "I-I want to apologize … I want to tell him how much I want to stay here … I want to tell him … How much I l-love him!"

Then and there, Tohru broke down in sobs. The scene was heart-wrenching for Kazuma, but all he could seem to do was give her a hug. He tried to calm her down, but her crying seemed to never stop. She shook with every sob she made.

"Tohru-san, I think it's better off you stay here," Kazuma said to her quietly. "Kyo will come around … I think he may just need some time alone. And if you go out looking for him in that state, you may get sick. I think you need rest." Tohru sniffled and began to calm down. Kazuma felt her nod against his bicep and he gently let her go. He led her inside and she slowly walked up the stairs to her room. She didn't come out for the rest of the night.

Kyo never returned home, either.

The next day was gloomy and rainy. Tohru was up early, for she couldn't sleep a wink. Her pillow was wet with tears, and she felt worse than she had the previous day. She was worried about Kyo: about where he was at that very moment, where he was all night, if he was okay, and whether or not he would return to say goodbye to her. Oh, it would've been so horrible if he didn't!

_Kyo-kun, please be safe … Please come home from Shishou-san … And for me, too … I don't know what I would do if I left knowing whether you were well or not …_

Tohru's things were packed by noon. With every article of clothing she folded, and every item she placed in her suitcase, she shed a tear. She was leaving her home. The place where she had lived in for six months, the people she spent time with and loved, were all going to be left behind.

Kazuma wasn't in bright spirits that day. Each minute that passed meant a minute closer to two o'clock, when the cab was going to arrive to take Tohru to the airport, and it also meant less time to be spent with Tohru. Kazuma ate the last two meals—breakfast and lunch—that were ever going to be cooked in that house by Tohru. Sure, Kyo was a good cook, but there wasn't one person who could beat Tohru's cooking.

At one-forty-five Kazuma helped Tohru bring her bags downstairs to the front door. She would wait inside for the cab to come, since the rain had grown heavier as the day went on.

"Kyo-kun never came home," Tohru whispered. Although it was a whisper, Kazuma picked up her words clearly. He felt ashamed that Kyo would actually do that to her. Still, he hoped that Kyo would return. If Kyo loved Tohru as much as Kazuma guessed, he would definitely come back.

At two o'clock sharp, the cab rolled in front of the house. Both Kazuma and Tohru spotted it through the window next to the front door.

"This is it," Kazuma said softly, only receiving a simple nod from Tohru in response. Kazuma lifted two of Tohru's suitcases while she held the other two, and together they ran outside to the cab to put them in the vehicle, with help from the cabdriver.

After Tohru's bags were placed in the trunk, Kazuma swept her into a tight embrace. "You've done so much for us Tohru-san," he said, his voice beginning to break from upcoming sobs. "I can't thank you enough for all you've given to Kyo and I. I think it was clearly fate that you came to the dojo that day last September."

Tohru closed her eyes tightly and let her tears fall, mingling with the rain that had fallen on her face. "Thank you so much Shishou-san," she said gratefully. "You and Kyo-kun are so special to me … You've both helped me in so many ways. Thank you so much for kindly taking me under your wing after Mom died … I know she would have been so thankful to know what you did. I'm truly blessed …"

"Stay well, Tohru-san."

After letting go, Kazuma opened the cab door for Tohru. As she was about to settle herself in, she saw a drenched, familiar figure standing several feet away from the cab.

It was Kyo.

Tohru hurriedly got out of the cab and ran in Kyo's direction. He began running to her as well, and when they both reached each other, they didn't hesitate to fall into each other's arms. Kyo held Tohru like there was no tomorrow. He buried his face in her hair and silently cried. Tohru let out her sobs, crying muffled apologizes into Kyo's shoulder. "I'm so sorry Kyo-kun! I'm so sorry I have to leave you like this …"

"It's okay, Tohru. Just please … Don't cry like that. Everything's going to be okay. I'm sorry I acted the way I did … I shouldn't have run away like that … I should've taken advantage of the rest of the time I had to spend with you, but I wasted it like an idiot."

"No … Don't say that Kyo-kun, you weren't an idiot …"

"Yeah, I was, but now that doesn't matter." He tilted Tohru's head up to look at him. Both of their eyes were filled with tears. Both of them drank in every part of that moment … Neither of them knew when the next time they would see each other was.

Kyo leaned in and pressed his lips gently against Tohru's. Before Tohru got to kiss him back, Kyo pulled away. He didn't want to get carried away, because then he wouldn't be able to stop. He would want the moment to last forever.

Tohru stared at him, her eyes glassy. "I guess … This is goodbye," she said in a hoarse whisper. Kyo nodded, but didn't say anything. The cab driver then grew impatient and began to honk his horn.

"Goodbye, Kyo-kun."

Kyo tried to find a goodbye, but he couldn't. There were no words to express how painful it was to see Tohru go off like she was, even though she didn't want to.

Tohru backed away to the cab, never taking her eyes off Kyo. When she climbed into the cab, she still looked at him, biting her lip and leaning her head against the rain covered window. As the cab drove off, Kyo saw Tohru mouth the words 'I love you' to him. Kyo did the same.

Then, as Kyo watched the cab drive away with the only girl he had ever loved in the backseat, he fell to his knees and cried like he never cried before.

* * *

There's always a dramatic part in every story, right? Well, this story's had quite a few, no doubt about that! I'm sad to say that there are only two more chapters after this, and I think they're both going to be pretty lengthy, like this one. I definitely know that chapter seventeen won't be out until next month, and I'm guessing, since February's short, that the last one will be out in March. Once again, I hope everyone at least enjoyed this chapter a **little** bit, and are all looking forward to the next one! Reviews are greatly appreciated! I'll see you all soon!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	17. Coping

Hey everyone! Before everyone jumps at me and yells at me for not updating for over a month, I have a very good explanation: I had no computer. I can't type out my story if I have no computer! **giggle** What happened was, on January 30th I turned on my computer and it kept shutting off. My father brought his computer into work the next day because there's a guy there who's kind of like a computer technician, so the guy said he'll look at it and see what the problem was. About three weeks went by and the guy hadn't even touched the computer, so my mother kind of got fed up and bought me a laptop. When I got the laptop I started writing the last chapter, so I got some Fan Fiction progress done. We finally got the other computer back at the beginning of the month and I transferred this chapter to my laptop and finally got it done! I'm so happy that I can start my new story by next month. I might give out a sneak preview of it after the last chapter, but I'm not so sure if I want to ... I'd rather make it a surprise! Well, I'll stop talking and I'll let everyone start reading this chapter. Thank you so much for all of the reviews I received during my absence (over 20!)! Enjoy!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: Coping  
Summary: Tohru Honda and Kyo Sohma's parents have been friends for thirty years, and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter. I also don't own the song "Heaven" by Ayumi Hamasaki.

* * *

At the end of the world

-

Or the last thing I see

-

You are never coming home

-

Never coming home

_- The Ghost of You_by My Chemical Romance

Kyo kicked and punched the air furiously, an intense, fiery gaze set on his face. It was a week after Tohru's departure to Kumamoto, and Kyo's life was nothing but a living Hell ever since the taxi drove her away from the house on that sorrowful, rainy day. Kyo found it hard to concentrate on things, hard to be at ease. He would constantly be twitching and bursting out in anger whenever Kazuma asked him a simple question. It was as if Kyo could only be sane if Tohru was around to make everything better for him.

He needed her.

His vision becoming blurry from the heavy end-of-summer heat, Kyo thrust his fist in front of him for a direct punch. The blow landed right on the trunk of a tree, sending shocks of pain through Kyo's hand. "God dammit!" he cursed. He watched as blood began to flow from the newly open wounds on his knuckles, but all of the pain he was enduring from it was nothing compared to the way he felt when Tohru had to leave him.

Even from inside, Kazuma could hear Kyo's outburst. They were more frequent now, for every little thing Kyo seemed to do would always result in a rage shouts and yells to no one in particular. Kyo was back to the way he was before Tohru entered his life, and things weren't always easy for Kazuma back in those days. Kyo's temper would not only hurt himself, but it sometimes got so out of hand that it hurt others around him.

Kyo would constantly get into fights with students of Kazuma's older classes, mostly because the boys would make smug comments about Kyo's hair color. This caused them to lose Kyo's trust and respect, and whenever they ended up doing something wrong resulted in Kyo yelling at them, which then produced bloody fights involving the martial art moves they had learned in class that day. Once Kazuma switched Kyo to teaching classes of younger students, things began to get better.

In a nutshell, Tohru was like a tranquilizer to Kyo: she comforted him, soothed him, and smoothed out the rough edges of his personality. Kazuma had never seen something so magical and miraculous in his entire life.

But now she was taken away from him, and Kyo was back to square one. If only there was a miracle that could bring Tohru back.

Kazuma placed down the newspaper he was reading, got up, and headed out to the back of the house to see what was wrong with Kyo. When he stepped outside he saw Kyo clutching his balled fist, blood slowly trailing down his arm. Kazuma took a few steps closer to his son. "Kyo, what happened? Are you alright?"

"…I'm fine …" Kyo replied through clenched teeth, his eyes closed tightly. He slowly shuffled into the house and left Kazuma outside, shaking his head.

Kyo was a mess.

Meanwhile, Tohru was doing housework at her family's house. They had her cleaning up a storm; never before had she ever worked this hard just cleaning a house before. They had her do dusting, wiping, sweeping, mopping, and possibly every other cleaning method you could apply on a house to make it tidy. Tohru's fingers ached from holding onto sponges and rags all day as she scrubbed away at floors, windows, and other glass-made objects throughout the house. He knees were red from leaning on them so often and her clothes were somewhat dirty from the outdoor work she did. Her family seemed to greatly appreciate it though, especially her grandfather, so as long as she was making people happy, she was happy.

The sleeping conditions weren't so bad for Tohru, but they were for her cousin Nariko. While living in Tokyo, Nariko didn't have her own room, for the family lived in a small apartment. When her grandfather started living with Nariko and her parents, Nariko had to sleep out in the living room. Now that they moved to a bigger house, she had her own room, but the opportunity was taken away from her when Tohru was asked to live with them.

Cooking, on the other hand, was tough for Tohru. Her aunt, uncle, and Nariko were terribly picky when it came to what Tohru cooked, and sometimes Nariko would even refuse to eat whatever Tohru had made. "It looks uncooked," she'd scoff. "I'm ordering myself some take-out, does anyone else want some?"

"Nariko-san, I—"

"Sure, that sounds good," her parents would say delightedly. They would all leave the dining area and Tohru would bow her head down, thinking she did something wrong. "Don't worry Kyoko-san," her grandfather—who had a habit of calling her 'Kyoko-san'— would say. "They're all just evil people."

Now, Tohru scrubbed at the windows that were in the family room. Her uncle was out, Nariko was at the movies with her friends, and her aunt was out grocery shopping. They always left Tohru and her grandfather at home by themselves, even when they did things together as a family.

Just then, Tohru's aunt, Naomi, called for Tohru from the font door. "Tohru-chan! Come help me with the groceries!"

"Oh, right away! I'm coming!" Tohru dropped her sponge and hurried to the front door, taking the heavy packages Naomi held out for her. Tohru padded into the kitchen and placed the bags of food on the kitchen table and began putting them away. "After you put these away," Naomi started, landing more grocery bags onto the table next to the other ones. "I need you to do the laundry—we've got a lot of it this week—and then I need you to clean my bedroom. Kenji's a great husband, but he can be such a pig sometimes!"

"O-Okay," Tohru said hesitantly as Naomi started out of the room. "Um, Naomi obasan?" Naomi stopped in the doorway and turned around to face Tohru. "Yeah?"

Nervously, Tohru began to fiddle with the hem of her skirt. "Um, if it's not too much trouble … I'd like to know if I'm enrolled in school yet … I-I told my mom I would finish school for her, and I don't want to break my promise. Please, if it's not too much trouble ..."

Naomi ran a hand over her face and sighed. She had completely forgotten about sending Tohru to school. "Oh, right," she said, pausing. "We'll get you to take the entrance exam to the nearest school." Starting out of the kitchen, she added, "It shouldn't be too hard, you're a pretty bright girl."

"Th-thank you!" Tohru felt a sudden boost of self-esteem at her aunt's words.

After Tohru finished putting away the groceries she headed back into the family room to finished washing the windows. A sudden burst of sadness overcame her as she thought about Kaibara High, Arisa, Saki, Kazuma, and Kyo. The thought of being back at Kazuma's, eating meals and spending time with Kyo filled her mind. She tried to hold back her tears, but found herself unsuccessful. She let the tears fall, thinking about how much she truly missed her boyfriend.

Over the next few days Kyo's hand swelled up and displayed bruised colors of purple and blue. Kazuma insisted on taking him to a doctor to have it examined, but Kyo would gruffly refuse. He at least had it bandaged, but because of the swelling, the cloth was beginning to tear.

"You really should get that checked out," Kazuma suggested one day while he and Kyo were having lunch (take out, of course). Kyo shoved his noodles in his mouth and ignored Kazuma's comment. "I don't care," he finally replied. "I can take the pain. Besides, there's nothing wrong with it … It's just bruised and swollen. It'll go down."

"Yes, but you should have it looked at … It can be broken for all we know."

Kyo shrugged, showing no sign of caring. "I don't care."

"Kyo, if you are acting like this because Tohru-san—"

"I don't wanna talk about that," Kyo groaned. Kazuma began to lose his patience with him. "If that is why you are behaving like this, sulking about and acting rowdy towards everything, you should take a step back and look at the situation; Tohru-san was forced to leave, she did not have a choice. You know that if she _did _have a choice, she would have stayed here. You are displaying behavior of a child, not a seventeen year-old." Kyo opened his mouth to object to this, but Kazuma didn't give him a chance. "I know you are tense and upset about these circumstances, and I understand that very much, but you need to stop acting like this, Kyo. It is unhealthy."

Kyo was silent after Kazuma's lecture. He stared at his dish of noodles, his hair shadowing over his eyes. He hand began to ball into a fist. "You _don't_ understand," Kyo said at last. "You don't love her …"

"But I _did_ love Kyoko-chan."

Kyo looked up at Kazuma, wanting to kick himself in the face for making him bring that up. He bowed his head shamefully and then got up from the table, storming out of the dining area. Kazuma heard his steps follow all the way to the front door, followed by the sound of said door being opened and then slammed shut. He sighed and continued to eat his lunch.

"Sometimes I do not understand him," he said, shaking his head.

Kazuma didn't know where Kyo went for the rest of the afternoon, but when he returned back home he was out of the breath, sweaty, and his skin was bright red. Without a word after entering the house, Kyo had gone upstairs to his bedroom and turned in for the night.

The next day at Tohru's family's home in Kumamoko, Tohru was making Nariko's bed when she heard the faint sound of music coming from the radio downstairs in the kitchen. The tune was soft and mellow, then the beat changed as the voice of Ayumi Hamasaki filled the house.

Kyo woke up around noon the next day, still exhausted from his long, tiring outing the previous day. His alarm had gone off its normal time, but something inside Kyo let him sleep through it, all the way until the beginning of the afternoon. He scowled when he saw the time as he reached over to turn off his alarm, which was the radio, until he heard the song that was on.

_Saigo ni kimi ga hohoende  
Massugu ni sashidashita mono wa  
Tada amarini kirei sugite  
Koraekirezu namida afureta_

Then, Tohru realized what the song was: it was _their song_. As if in a sudden trance, she slowly sat down on her cousin's bed, humming the tune to herself. She gently wrapped her arms around the pillow she was holding, clutching it tightly to her chest and she leaned her head against the soft material, suddenly feeling tears emitting from her eyes.

As Kyo listened to the first lines of the song, his mind went racing back to Tohru and to the night where they first heard this song together. It was a cool summer night, the crickets chirping, the moon shining. He and Tohru were both sitting on the porch at the back of the house while the radio in the sitting room was on, the music drifting through the open window. They sat side by side, their legs dangling off the porch and their hands twined together, and Tohru had leaned her head on Kyo's shoulder. It seemed like at the moment, they both knew that the song that was playing was meant for them. Kyo hadn't heard it ever since then, and now, hearing it again, it surely brought back memories.

_Ano hi kitto futari wa  
Ai ni fureta_

Tohru felt herself smile; she could hear Kyo's voice in her head, feel his touch on her skin. If she closed her eyes she could almost imagine that he was there with her, like this horrible reality was, in fact, a bad dream and maybe if she opened her eyes she would wake up in her bed at Kazuma's house and then run into Kyo's room, get swept up into his arms, and she would tell him the silly, yet upsetting, dream that she had. But when she opened her eyes and the song was still on, she was aware that this unbearable dream was reality.

Lifting his head up from his pillow, Kyo let the lyrics of the song sink in. He stared at the radio clock on his night stand, wanting to smash it, anything to stop playing that song, but he sat still and listened, a smile softly grazing his lips, as he thought of the wonderful eleven months he'd spent with her, the summer they spent together.__

Watashitachi wa sagashiatte  
Tokini jibun o miushinatte  
Yagate mitsukeatta no nara

_Donna ketsumatsu ga matte ite mo_

Feeling the tears coming out more abrupt than before, Tohru pushed her face into the pillow, softly gasping with each sob. She slowly rocked herself back and forth, trying to remind herself that it was just a song and that she would feel better if she just got up and continued making the bed, resumed her cleaning, letting the song carry on as she avoided it. But there was something that held her down to the bed, something that wouldn't let her get up; the thought of Kyo and the song being one of the only things she had left of him, besides the memories.

_Unmei to iu igai  
Hoka ni wa nai  
_  
Kyo sat up in his bed, never taking his eyes off of the radio clock, and swung h is legs over the bed. He stared at the floor, thinking about how Tohru had come into his life so suddenly, just like one day she was there, at the dojo, selling tickets for her school play. Kyo wondered what would have happened if there was no production of _Cinderella_ at Tohru's school ... Would they have met then?

_La la la la la la la la la la  
La la la la la la la la la la_

It all then came to Kyo, sudden and quick, like a strong gust of wind in the middle of winter; in _Cinderella_, Cinderella and the Prince were separated and then the Prince went out to look for her, and he did, and they lived happily ever after.

_Kimi ga tabidatta ano sora ni  
Yasashiku watashi o terasu hoshi ga hikatte_

Was that what he had to do?

_Soba ni ite aisuru hito  
Toki o koete katachi o kaeteFutari mada minu mirai ga koko ni  
Nee konnanimo nokotteru kara_

Tohru sighed and stood up, wiping her eyes with such intensity that they began to sting, like someone had just dropped rubbing alcohol into them. She placed down the pillow and went back to making Nariko's bed. It didn't help though, because she could see the tears that were falling, splashing down onto the sheets and blankets, leaving little wet spots all throughout the bed._  
_  
_Soba ni ite aisuru hito  
Toki o koete katachi o kaete  
Futari mada minu mirai ga koko ni  
Nokotteru kara_

It was her favorite part of the song, the part that always reminded her that they would be together forever. The future would be theirs, but never before had she ever thought of being here in Kumamoko, away from Kyo.

_Shinjite aisuru hito  
Watashi no naka de kimi wa ikiru  
Dakara kore kara saki mo zutto_

_Sayonara nante iwanai_

Kyo padded out of his bedroom and went downstairs. He headed outside and stepped into the warm summer air, watching the clouds pass the sun, and that was when he knew what he had to do.

_Ano hi kitto futari wa  
Ai ni fureta_

It was destiny.

* * *

How was it? As you probably already know, I'm very big on music. I'm not really going to use music in my next story, but I'll probably use some quotes. I don't think I'll even go back to writing with song lyrics, but I just thought it was a cute little touch to the story. I hope you all liked the chapter and aren't too upset with me about how long it took! But, the last chapter (gasp!) is already in progress, so it'll be out this month as well, just like I planned! So until then, keep your fingers crossed and hope that Kyo's plan to get Tohru will work out! Oh, and here's the English translation to the song "Heaven".

_What you offered straight to me  
With a smile for the last time  
Was just so beautiful  
That I gave way to tears  
Surely, that day  
The two of us touched love  
__  
We sought for each other  
Lost ourselves at times  
And found each other at last  
So whatever result may be waiting for us_

_It's nothing but  
Destiny_

_La la la la la la la la la la  
La la la la la la la la la la_

_In the sky you set out for  
Stars are shining tenderly upon me_

_Stay by my side, my love  
Crossing over time and changing your shape  
You see? the future we haven't yet seen  
Remains here like this_

_Stay by my side, my love  
Crossing over time and changing your shape  
The future we haven't yet seen  
Remains here_

_Trust me, my love  
You live within me  
So 'll never  
Say good-bye to you_

_Surely, that day  
The two of us touched love_

I'll see you guys soon!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


	18. The Perfect Ending

1Hey everyone! It's the last chapter of Unexpected ... Finally! I can't believe it's actually over–It feels like just yesterday I was typing up the first chapter! Time goes by **really** fast sometimes! Before I begin the chapter, I would like to thank everyone who has read this story from day one and supported me through all of the long updates. And thank you so much for all of the reviews! I was so happy with all of the feedback I received–I never got a flame once. It's been great writing this story for you all. So, without further ado, may the last chapter of Unexpected begin!

Title: Unexpected  
Author: Swaying Cherry Blossoms  
Chapter: The Perfect Ending  
Summary: Tohru Honda and Kyo Sohma's parents have been friends for thirty years, and their children have never met. But on one fateful day, the two teens meet and their lives are changed forever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the song lyrics I add at the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

If I had to choose a way to die, it'd be with you

-

In a goose bump infested embrace

-

With my over-anxious hands cupping your cherub face

-

How does it feel?

- _So Much_ by the Spill Canvas

There was one Tuesday night in particular, a few weeks into October, where Kyo found it impossible to fall asleep. He tossed and turned on his bed, tangling himself up in his bed sheets, and his mind could only focus on one thing: Tohru. It was over a month since he last saw her and suddenly her absence from his life was starting to take its toll on him. He suddenly felt nervous all of the time, jumping at things he normally wouldn't jump at. He constantly let his guard down, too, which resulted in him jumping at someone, usually Kazuma or Kunimitsu. He often felt stages of depression as well where all he would do was sit by the windowsill of his bedroom and stare at the set of woods that lay behind the house, the number of trees seeming endless, as if they went on forever and never stopped. Kyo's abnormal behavior was definitely noticeable and Kazuma thought of taking some action by sending him to see a psychiatrist.

"This has been very rough on him," Kazuma told Kunimitsu one morning over tea. The two men sat outside on the wooden porch at the back of the house, sipping green herbal tea from tiny little cups, admiring how the leaves of the trees were taking on their golden color, announcing that autumn had finally arrived. Kunimitsu nodded at Kazuma's statement and took a quick sip of his tea before responding. "Don't you think sending him to a psychiatrist is a little too much though?" Kazuma shook his head, but Kunimitsu went on. "He's just a teenager in love, is all. Like you told me once, Tohru-san has touched Kyo's heart in ways that no one else could have ever done. It seems like he _needs_ her in his life, to help him along the way." Kazuma thought about this and knew that Kunimitsu was right, but if he just let it be, Kyo could get hurt.

As Kyo lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, he wondered what Tohru was doing at that very moment, something he did very often. He looked over at his clock, which read two-thirty-three, and thought about her sleeping in her bed, a tiny smile plastered onto her face. She probably looked angelic, as she always did when she slept, with her long hair trailing over her shoulders and her bangs hanging elegantly over her eyes. She was always an image of pure innocence when she slept, and when she was living with Kyo and Kazuma, Kyo would often stay by her bed at night just to watch her sleep. Now, as he lay in his own bed, with the thought of Tohru being miles and miles of way, tears began to fall from his eyes and onto his pillow, he finally realized that he may never be able to watch her pleasant sleeping form ever again, or the way she smiled and laughed, or anything else for that matter. It suddenly dawned on him that he may never be able to see her again.

Not if he could help it.

Sure he'd thought about it, but he didn't actually think he could do it. It wasn't that simple, just going to Tohru's new home on the other side of the country and taking her from there. But now that he thought about it more, he realized that his love for her could overcome anything, that he would be able to do anything for her if he wanted to.

Kyo untwined himself from his blanket and sheets and thrust them off the bed. He sat up and turned on the tiny light that sat on his night stand, retrieving a pen and pad that lay next to the light, and scribbled a quick message on it. He placed them back in their original places then got off the bed and went to his dresser and began taking out clothing: two T-shirts, two pairs of pants, undergarments, and socks. He dug up a duffel bag from him closet and stuffed the apparels in it, throwing the unzipped bag onto his bag as he quickly changed out of his pajamas and into a long sleeved shirt and cargo pants. He then ran to the bathroom, quietly, to get his toothbrush and he threw it into the duffel bag and zippered it shut. Kyo swung the bag over his shoulder and exited his room, quietly shutting his door. He tiptoed to Kazuma's room to find Kazuma's wallet and from there took 2,000 yen. In the note that was scribbled on Kyo's night stand, everything was explained, especially why there would be some yen missing from Kazuma's wallet once he woke up in the morning.

Once Kyo was outside in the crisp autumn air, he inhaled deeply. If this whole plan worked out as he hoped it would, he would be able to see Tohru Thursday. He started down the sidewalk and crossed the street at the corner, walking in the direction of the train station. Since it was late at night, Kyo figured he would probably be able to buy a ticket on short notice to K, then board the train as soon as possible.

Walking to the train station didn't take long, for Kyo and Kazuma didn't live too far away from it, and there was luckily no line at the ticket booth, so Kyo was able to buy a ticket quickly and without a problem. Maybe all of the ease that was coming to him was a sign that this is what he had to do; he had to go to Kumamoto himself and bring Tohru back.

After buying his train ticket, Kyo sat on a cushioned bench and waited until his train was about to board. The station was almost vacant with the exception of him, some workers, and two middle-aged men each in a suit and reading the newspaper. When Kyo's train was ready to board, Kyo lifted himself from his seat, suddenly feeling a little sleepy.

The train ride went smooth yet long. Kyo rested his head against the glass window, occasionally feeling himself doze off for a half hour or so. The other occupants of the train stared blankly into the walking isles, their eyes slowly closing. The only sounds that broke the heavy silence were the rattling of the train wheels against the railroad tracks and the shaking of the train compartment.

It was almost seven o'clock in the morning when Kyo finally stepped off the train. He left the train station, confident he would reach Tohru and bring her back home with him.

- - - - - - - -

Tohru sighed in relief as she took a look around at the sparkling clean bathroom. She picked up her bucket from off the floor and headed out into the hallway. After one and a half hours of cleaning the upstairs of the house she was finally done with her chores for the morning. The only thing she had left to do was prepare breakfast, but Tohru couldn't really consider that a chore because she enjoyed cooking too much.

As Tohru prepared the fish she heard the ceiling above her creak, announcing that there was someone upstairs who was finally awake. Naomi then came down the stairs, yawning as she scratched her head, and she entered the kitchen and went straight to the refrigerator. As she opened it and reached in for a carton of orange juice, Tohru greeted her. "Good morning Naomi obasan! How did you sleep?"

"Nn ... Fine," Naomi grunted in response. She took a long swig at the orange juice, ruffling her messy hair, then placed the carton back in the refrigerator. "What's for breakfast?" she asked, her voice still groggy from sleeping, as she leaned against the counter. Tohru grinned at her aunt as she placed the chopped up fish into a frying pan and put on the stove. "Fish with rice," she said replied. Naomi nodded and then walked out of the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway, though, then turned around to Tohru. "Oh, before I forget," she started, folding her arms over her small chest. "Kenji has some papers for you to sign later after breakfast. You don't have to read them or anything, you know. They're just some forms stating our right to custody over you and everything." Tohru nodded. "Sure!" she replied happily.

She didn't notice Naomi smirk as she stepped out of the kitchen.

Later that afternoon Kenji asked for Tohru to meet him in the kitchen. When Tohru entered she found him sitting at the table, a small, neat stack of papers set in front of him. He grinned and motioned for her to take a seat in the chair opposite of him at the table.

"So," Kenji said as Tohru settled herself in the chair. "Thank you for taking the time to come in here for a minute to sign these. We've been trying to get all of these papers out of the way for a while, and now that I had the opportunity I thought I'd just get it over with." He put on a pair of reading glasses and then scanned through the papers. Once he seemed to find what he was looking for he handed it over to Tohru, along with a pen. "All you need to do is sign here ... And here ... Initials here ... Social security number here ... Bank account number here ... Name here ... And then here."

After Tohru was done signing she began to scan the paper. She saw different sets of numbers, but when she wanted to read on any further Kenji grabbed the paper from her hands. "All right, thanks again Tohru-chan," he said as he got up quickly. He shoved the pen behind his ear, got up, and hurried out of the kitchen. "Oh, your welcome!" Tohru called after him. She then turned her head toward the window and saw that it was beginning to get cloudy out.

- - - - - - - -

"Honda. Tohru Honda," Kyo said into a microphone. Behind a desk a woman tapped away at a keyboard, her eyes glued to a computer monitor. As she typed Kyo drummed his fingers on the desk and looked around the lobby of the building he was in. He wasn't very sure of where he actually was, but when he was at the train station he asked one of the train engineers where he would be able to find out where someone lived in Kumamoto. The man gave him directions to the location he was at and now he stood in front of the reception desk, watching as a woman looked up Tohru's name on the computer.

"There _is_ a Honda family living in this city, but there are no records for a Tohru Honda. You may have the wrong family name, or the wrong given name, or you may just be in the wrong city."

"Could you read off the names of the whole Honda family then?"

"I'm sorry sir, but that information cannot be released unless you can name them yourself." The woman adjusted the glasses that sat on her nose. "That's when I can confirm whether the information you give me is right or not."

Kyo sighed. People could be so damn stubborn sometimes. He searched his mind for some other way he could find out where Tohru was living with her family. He looked around the lobby of the building once more, as if the answer was written somewhere on the walls.

Actually, it was.

Kyo nodded to the woman and thanked her for her help anyway. He walked over to a poster on the wall. The poster advertised a phone book that just listed all of the residents residing in Kumamoto. At that moment, Kyo couldn't have felt any happier. It was as if someone had just handed him all of his answers on a silver platter. The question was: How was he going to get access to one of those books?

Turning on his heel, Kyo walked back to the reception desk and tapped on the glass window to get the receptionist's attention. She looked up from the computer screen, adjusted her glasses, and then spoke into the microphone, "How can I help you, again, sir?"

"Yeah, um, do you have any idea where I can find one of those books?" Kyo pointed in the direction of the poster, causing the receptionist to squint so she could read the text written on it. "Oh, yes," she finally said. "We actually carry them here." She moved on her swivel chair to a drawer and opened it. She took out a fairly thick book then rolled the chair back to her previous position at the desk. She handed Kyo the book, then began typing again on her computer. "Oh, thanks," Kyo said. He hadn't expected to get the book so quickly.

"That'll be one thousand yen please," the woman said.

"What?" Kyo questioned. "You mean, I actually have to pay for this?"

"Of course," the woman laughed. "It certainly isn't free. The company that distributes those books is part of our enterprise and in return to their financial input to our company, we sell their books."

Kyo cursed under his breath. He hadn't come all the way to Kumamoto to spend his money on phone books. But, if this was the only way he was going to find out where Tohru's family lived, he stuck his hand in his pocket and took out his yen. He counted up the needed amount, set it on the counter, and then took the phone book from the receptionist. Without saying another word to her, he made his way out of the building.

The afternoon sun bore down on Kyo as he entered the daylight. He hadn't realized how long he was actually there at that building, but was relived to be finally out. He strolled over to a nearby bench and sat down, opening the phone book he had just purchased. He skimmed through the pages until he came up to the 'H' section of residents living in Kumamoto, then he read on until he found Honda.

There was more than just one Honda family residing in Kumamoto, unfortunately.

"Great," Kyo mumbled to himself. "Just great. What the hell am I supposed to do now?" It was like things were finally getting better, then suddenly got worse. He knew it was too easy. But maybe it was ... All Kyo really had to do was go to each of the homes and see, somehow, if Tohru was there. Sure, he would have to do some spying, possibly some trespassing, but it would be worth it once he found her, right?

Kyo flipped open the phone book again and turned to the page he was at before. There were four Honda families listed in the book, all of whom lived on different streets. If Kyo was lucky enough, he would be able to find a map of the city and then he could see how far apart each street was.

He picked up his head and looked around at all of the buildings and shops that lined the busy street. Cars whizzed by, stopping by at the occasional stop light, and pedestrians made their ways up and down the sidewalks that lined the streets as well. Kyo then spotted a café right across the street from the bench he was sitting on thay had a sign hanging on one of the glass doors, reading 'Free Computer Access'. Smirking to himself, Kyo got up and crossed the street, entering the café in a confident and content matter.

- - - - - - - -

It was two o'clock in the afternoon when Tohru walked through the automatic doors of a bank. She wrote out a withdrawal slip and then waited on line to be assisted by a bank teller.

Tohru was at the bank because she needed to go shopping for more cleaning supplies, and Noami nor Kenji had said they hadn't any pocket money on them at the time. Tohru had said that she could wait to go out and get the wipes, sponges, rubber gloves, and other things that were needed, but she couldn't stand to sit around the house while it got dirty. So she was going to take money out of her own bank account to pay for it.

After all, Naomi and Kenji had welcomed her into their home, let her eat their food, and had given her a warm bed to sleep in. It was the least she could do.

Smiling warmly as she stepped up to the teller, Tohru handed her the withdrawal slip as she watched the teller punch numbers into the computer that sat in front of her. She chewed fiercely at a fairly large piece of gum, popping it every five seconds. Her long acrylic nails made a loud tapping sound whenever she typed on the keyboard of the computer.

"Sorry hun," the teller said. Tohru couldn't help but notice the little smudge of lipstick that was on the woman's front tooth. "But this bank account's closed. You'll have to withdraw from anotha."

Tohru was suddenly baffled. "Oh, um, excuse me? You mean, the bank account is closed?" The teller nodded, popping a large bubble. "Yeap. Closed. Today in fact."

"T-Today? But ... I've never been to this bank before. It can't be closed ..."

"Sorry hun," the teller said again. "Next!" she called over Tohru's shoulder. At the teller's call, a tall, broad man wearing a suit stepped up to the desk. Tohru got off the line and walked once more through the automatic doors of the building and out onto the sidewalk.

"How ... How could it have been closed?" Tohru questioned herself as she walked down the sidewalk. She wrung her hands together and looked down at her feet as she walked. _How could it be closed when I had over one thousand dollars in there?_ She thought to herself. _Does that mean that some actually took the money out of my account before it was closed?_

_But who?_

Then she remembered: the papers Kenji had asked her to sign. She had to write down her bank and social security numbers on them in addition to her name. And with her given signature, they could have easily closed up her bank account. Tohru tried to shake off the thought, for she knew it wasn't right to just jump to conclusions like that and assume things, but it all just seemed to fit together ...

Tears began to form in her eyes. How could her family betray her like that?

- - - - - - - -

As Kyo scrolled down the page of the map website, he double clicked on a text box and began to type in the address of the first Honda household listed in the phone book. He was hoping that all of the homes were close together for convenience, and also so that he could get to Tohru quickly. He missed how she felt in his arms when he held her, and how sweet her hair always smelt when he buried his face in it. Thinking about all this, he stared unawarely out the window.

And then he saw her pass.

Kyo blinked for a minute, his heart beginning to race. He quickly rubbed his eyes and took another look out the window and sure enough, it was Tohru who was walking on the sidewalk alongside the café.

"Tohru," Kyo gasped. His heart began to race widely in his chest and he felt all of those familiar sensations of being with Tohru shoot through him at that moment. It felt wonderful.

He hurried out of the café, nearly crashing into a couple walking out with cappuccinos in their hands, each who had shouted "Watch out!" at Kyo as he abruptly pushed himself through the doorway. If he wasn't fast, he could lose Tohru in the crowd.

"Tohru!" Kyo shouted at the top of his lungs. With all of the sounds of cars honking, people yelling, and sirens, Kyo wanted to do his best in getting Tohru's attention. He called her name again.

"Tohru!"

- - - - - - - -

As Tohru walked to the corner of the sidewalk, looking nimbly at her feet as she thought about the events that had occurred that day so far, she could have sworn she heard a voice calling her ... A familiar voice that sent chills down her spine whenever it spoke her name. The voice that she had only been dreaming about hearing for the past two months. The voice that belong to the boy she loved.

She turned around quickly, her hair whipping her face, and then she saw him running toward her. It was Kyo ... It was actually Kyo! At that moment Tohru seemed to forget everything that had happened that day , all of her problems, and all of her worries. What mattered was that at that very moment, Kyo was running toward her. And so she did the same.

"Kyo-kun!" she called out to him. She couldn't hold back the eagerness in her voice, the joy, and the relief. The tears that had filled her eyes earlier from the thought of her family betraying her were now tears of complete and utter happiness. She ran to Kyo fast and hard and after what seemed like an eternity of running, she was in his arms and lost in a kiss so passionate and wonderful, it didn't matter that they were standing on a sidewalk filled with other people. All that mattered was that Kyo had found her. He came for her, after those long, endless, two months.

As Kyo kissed Tohru, he wiped the tears from her face with his thumb and then buried his hands in her hair, just like he had done every night during that wonderful first summer they had spent together. Tohru's hands were around his neck and she pulled Kyo closer to her each time he tried to pull away to look ast her. But when she finally didn't bring him closer to her, Kyo took advantage of the opportunity and looked into those two big gorgeous eyes he had missed so much. Her face was still as sweet, her smile still as pure, and her skin just as soft as it had been before she had to leave him. The moment was just so wonderful, so magical that it brought faint tears to Kyo's eyes.

"Tohru," he whispered into her ear after he had pulled her into an embrace. "I was lost without you."

"Oh, I've missed you so much Kyo-kun!" Tohru sobbed into his shoulder. "But you came for me ... You found me!"

Kyo planted a gentle kiss on Tohru's forehead as he began to stroke her hair lovingly, feeling that wonderful sensation flowing through his fingers with every stroke. It was almost as if he was in heaven.

Kyo and Tohru had eventually brought their reunion to a nearby park and reminisced about their unforgettable memories together. They hugged, kissed, and held hands until the sun began to set, and together they walked back to Tohru's house hand-in-hand.

Tohru was back at Kazuma's the next week. It turned out that the papers Kenji had asked for Tohru to sign weren't papers that gave Kenji and Naomi the right of custody to Tohru, but rather the custody to the money that Tohru's mother had left for Tohru when she died. Although Kenji and Naomi weren't arrested, for they hadn't stolen the money since Tohru's signature was on the paper, they were fined for manipulating her and giving her false statements as to what she was actually signing.

Tohru did get the money back, though. But that was the least of it. What she got back that meant the most was her life, her love, and her home. And that was all one thing:

Kyo.

* * *

Aw, it ended! I can't believe it! I hope you all liked it! I know this chapter wasn't as big as last chapters of stories usually are, but at least Tohru and Kyo are together again, right? That's what matters the most.

I'd like to take this time to first apologize for how long it took me to update. I don't have that many excuses. On the most part, I was lazy, I'll admit it, lol. But I did have track meets to go to, a research paper to work on, and I've been doing a lot of reading lately. But besides that, I still tried to write as much as I could and now I finally finished! I'm kind of happy the story's over with because I can start writing a new one!

Second, I'd like to thank everyone who has read this story from chapter one. It really, really means a lot to me that you all take time to read this story, meanwhile you could be doing homework, hanging out with friends, shopping, or any other thing you like to do. But the fact that you're sitting there at the computer, reading my work, makes me feel great. And if you took the time to review also and give me your feedback, well that makes me even more grateful! Thank you all **so** much because I honestly couldn't have written this story without all of these reviews I've received. You guys are all the best!

Oh, and the song that's featured in this chapter happens to be my favorite song. I recommend that you download it and listen to it because it's a really, really beautiful song, lol.

Until my next story, may all of your days be safe and happy.

And remember: life can be so unexpected sometimes!

xoxo Swaying Cherry Blossoms


End file.
